Never Letting You Go
by Skiddy2002
Summary: Nashville's Season 4 finale was supposed to end on a cliffhanger for Will/Kevin with one of Cynthia Davis' supporters shooting at them. However, this didn't air due to the cancellation of the show by ABC. Instead, they aired the alternate happy ending. This story assumes the cliffhanger did air and follows immediately after. Can't wait for Season 5 on CMT.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One** :

Gunnar raced through the hospital doors and came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the room. He frantically scanned around trying to find someone, anyone that he could talk to but his rising panic wasn't helping. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he acknowledged that he was squeezing Scarlett's hand too tightly but he couldn't make himself stop. He turned to Scarlett when he felt her tug on his arm. She was peering down the hallway and pointing, "There's Luke."

Luke was pacing slowly back and forth with his arms folded across his chest, his eyes burning a hole through the floor as if it alone held salvation. Gunnar pulled Scarlett along as he ran forward yelling "Luke!" Luke looked up when he heard his name, and Gunnar stopped in his tracks when he saw the grimness in his eyes. "We came as soon as we heard the news. Is it true?"

Luke averted his eyes as he unfolded his arms and placed his hands on his hips. He cleared his throat before stating, "Yeah, it's true."

Gunnar squeezed Scarlett's hand even tighter. "How is he?"

"He's in surgery." Luke kept his eyes averted as he shook his head slightly. "It doesn't look good."

Gunnar shut his eyes as he felt his heart plummet into the pit of his stomach. "What happened?"

Luke shook his head again as he crossed his arms back over his chest. "Will and Kevin were outside Cynthia Davis' studio with the other protestors when…" Luke couldn't continue, and Gunnar realized that Luke was struggling to hold it together.

"Will and Kevin were together when it happened?" Gunnar asked.

"Kevin helped us pull the protest together." Luke snorted as he smiled ironically. "You know the real kicker of this whole mess? Will and Kevin decided to give their relationship another shot right before it happened."

Gunnar turned to Scarlett when he heard her softly whimper, "Oh God." Scarlett turned her face away and stared across the hall. She tilted her chin at something before turning back to Luke. "He in there?"

Gunnar realized for the first time that they were standing outside a waiting room. When Luke nodded in confirmation, Gunnar asked, "How is he?"

Luke finally met Gunnar's eyes dead-on. "He's a wreck. He'll be real glad to see you."

Gunnar nodded as he felt Scarlett squeeze his hand before saying, "I'm gonna go make some phone calls. I'll be there in a bit." Scarlett squeezed his hand one last time before turning and walking away.

Gunnar took a deep breath and squared his shoulders as he pushed the door to the waiting room open and walked in. As the door softly swished shut behind him, his heart broke at the sight of the crumpled figure sitting there. Gunnar wasn't sure if he had ever seen someone appear so desolate although he was reminded of the time he had found Scarlett in the hospital chapel just before her Mom passed. He walked further into the room and said softly, "Will?" Will looked up at him and Gunnar grimaced at the bleakness in his eyes. He tried to smile in reassurance as he stepped closer. "How are you doing buddy?"

Will regarded him imploringly. "It's all my fault."

Gunnar quickly slid into the chair next to Will. "What do you mean it's all your fault? How can it be your fault?"

Will turned in his chair so he was facing Gunnar. "I was so Hell bent on getting onto Cynthia Davis' talk show. I didn't think about the consequences. All I thought about was that I was right and she was wrong."

"Okay but what does that…?" Gunnar said quizzically.

Will continued to stare at him, his eyes filling with tears. "The gunman was one of her followers."

Gunnar gaped at Will in disbelief. "How do you know that?"

"The police were here earlier." Gunnar watched as the tears started rolling down Will's face. "It's all my fault."

Gunnar reached out and placed his hands on Will's shoulders. "No, it's not…"

"Yes it is!" Will interrupted. "If I had never gone on that damn talk show, none of this would have happened. He wouldn't have…" Will's face crumpled as he broke down.

"Hey, come here." Gunnar wrapped his arms around Will and pulled him close as Will broke down.

"I just got him back and now I've lost him." Will choked out.

Gunnar pushed Will away and grabbed his shoulders shaking him slightly. "Stop it. Stop it right now." Gunnar said as Will gawked at him in surprise. "You haven't lost him. Kevin is strong and he just got you back too." Gunnar's face softened as he continued. "Kevin loves you. He's going to fight to come back to you. You can't give up hope."

Will shook his head dejectedly. "There was so much blood."

Gunnar gripped Will's shoulders harder. "Don't you dare give up on him. If you love him, you won't give up on him."

Gunnar stood up and twisted his upper body trying to work the kinks out of his back. He had been in the waiting room with Will for hours and there was still no word on Kevin. Gunnar had convinced Will that it was a good sign. At least that meant that Kevin was still hanging on. However, Gunnar himself was becoming less and less convinced as time wore on without any word.

Gunnar glanced over at Will who was still sitting in the same chair. Scarlett had assumed Gunnar's place on Will's left side holding his hand and stroking it softly. Scarlett had phoned both Layla and Avery, and they had shown up within minutes of each other. Layla was sitting on Will's right side with Will's head lying on her shoulder. She stroked his hair while she spoke to him softly in a continuous dialogue. Gunnar wasn't sure if Will even heard her. He was staring into space lost in grief. Avery was sitting a few chairs away lost in his own misery. He couldn't help but notice the angry looks Avery directed at Layla or the coldness between the two. But it wasn't the time or place to ask about it.

Gunnar felt helpless as he thought about both of his dearest friends. Both of them were on the precipice of losing the love of their life. Gunnar had sensed something was wrong with Avery almost immediately. When he finally got the chance to get Avery alone, Avery had admitted to him that Juliette's plane was missing. Gunnar had told Avery that he didn't need to stay but Avery had just shrugged his shoulders. There was nothing he could do except wait and he could do that here with Will just as well as anywhere else. At least they were both with friends which made the waiting a little bit easier.

Gunnar suddenly felt claustrophobic so he wandered out into the hall. As he twisted his neck back and forth to work out some more kinks, he noticed Luke leaning against the wall a few feet away. Gunnar stepped over to him and said, "You look exhausted. If you want to go and get some sleep, it's okay. We'll stay with Will."

Luke smiled slightly. "Thanks. I'd rather stay though." Gunnar nodded as he leaned against the wall next to Luke. They both stood in silence for a few minutes before Luke said quietly, "Kevin's a good guy." Gunnar nodded in agreement but kept silent. "I introduced them to each other." A few moments passed before Luke finally sighed as he pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can't help thinking that I put this whole crazy ball into motion."

Gunnar glanced over at Luke with a small smile. "Now you sound like Will. Luke, this isn't your fault any more than it is Will's. Let's put the blame squarely where it belongs. With that homophobic scumbag."

Gunnar watched as Luke's face hardened. "I would love to have just five minutes alone with that guy."

Gunnar leaned closer to Luke. "Can I hold him down while you pummel him into oblivion?"

Luke snorted in laughter as he peered over at Gunnar appreciatively. "Done." The word was no sooner out of Luke's mouth when his eyes shifted causing him to stand away from the wall. Gunnar followed his eyes down the hall and noticed a doctor in scrubs walking towards them. A glance back at the apprehension on Luke's face told Gunnar that Will's wait was over.

As Gunnar stepped back into the waiting room behind Luke, Scarlett met his gaze. Gunnar knew he was an open book when it came to Scarlett so he wasn't surprised when she stood up with a resolute look in her eye. This caused both Avery and Layla to glance up as well. By the time the doctor finally entered the room, everyone was standing including Will who stepped up to him and said anxiously, "Kevin?"

The doctor took a moment to remove his surgical cap before answering tiredly. "He survived the surgery."

Will's relief was palpable as he swayed and nearly fell over. Fortunately, Layla and Scarlett braced him on each side as Avery came up and held him from behind. While Will regained his composure, Luke asked the question that was on everyone's mind. "How is he Doc?"

The doctor stared down at the surgical cap in his hand as he said, "I'm afraid his condition is critical." Gunnar shared an anxious glance with Scarlett as the doctor continued. "He lost a considerable amount of blood, and the surgery was…more complicated than we expected." The doctor finally looked up and met Luke's eyes. "He's extremely weak."

Luke nodded then cleared his throat. "So, what does that mean, exactly?"

The doctor replied, "It means that we'll have to wait and see. I wish I could be more optimistic."

By this time, Will had recovered enough to speak. "Can I see him?"

"He's being moved to ICU now. Once he's settled, I'll have a nurse come get you." With that, the doctor turned around and walked back out the door.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

It was over an hour later before a nurse finally showed up in the waiting room to take Will to ICU. Gunnar was surprised that there wasn't a rut running down the middle of the carpet from Will's constant pacing. Despite the fact that Will's pacing had upped the anxiety level in the room to astronomical proportions, nobody had the heart to tell him to stop. By the time the nurse entered the waiting room, the tension was so thick that everyone bolted out of their seats startling her.

"Mr. Lexington?" she asked, her eyes flitting around the room.

"Yes," Will said shakily.

The nurse smiled at Will and said, "Follow me please." She was almost out the door when she realized that Will wasn't moving. Confusion creased her brow as she glanced at Gunnar who was just as confused as she was. "I was told you wanted to see Mr. Bicks once he was settled." When Will continued to stand stock still and just stare at her, she continued, "Is that not right?"

After watching Will in constant motion for the past hour, it was somewhat jarring to see him suddenly turned into stone. Gunnar turned to Avery who just shrugged his shoulders helplessly. Gunnar turned back to the nurse and said, "Could you give us a minute?" The nurse nodded and stepped out of the room. Gunnar stepped up to Will and said, "Will? What's going on? I thought you'd be racing out of here to go see Kevin."

Will's eyes darted back and forth as he said, "I don't know if I can."

Gunnar peeked over at Avery again for assistance but Avery didn't seem to understand what was going on either. Avery stepped closer to Will and placed his hand on his back reassuringly. "What do you mean you don't know if you can?"

Will turned his watery eyes to Avery and whispered. "I don't know if I can see him like that."

Avery's eyes filled with compassion as he lifted his other hand and placed it gently on Will's chest. "It's okay Will. That's completely understandable. And you're right, it will be hard. But I know that you can do this. Do you know why?" Will shook his head and Avery continued. "Do you remember when you and Kevin broke up? When we were sitting at the kitchen table talking? We were both miserable, and I knew that you loved Kevin just as much as I loved Juliette and that both of us would have given anything to have them back. Well, you got Kevin back and right now he is up in that ICU fighting so hard to get back to you. He needs you Will. He needs to feel you squeezing his hand with everything you have. He needs to feel your love for him, to draw strength from that. He needs you to help him fight. And that's why I know you can do this. Because you would never let Kevin down like that. You love him too much."

Gunnar watched as Will silently absorbed everything Avery said to him. Will reached out and squeezed Avery's shoulder then brushed past him and out the door without a word. Silence descended over the room until Scarlett blurted out emotionally, "That was beautiful."

Avery quickly wiped the tears from his face and blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Yeah…well…I'm sure there's a song in there somewhere."

Scarlett walked across the room and wrapped her arms around Avery's waist. "I'm not sure the general public could handle a song like that. But it was beautiful. And exactly what Will needed to hear. So thank you."

* * *

Gunnar stepped out into the hallway to ensure that Will hadn't changed his mind, but he didn't see either Will or the nurse. He breathed a sigh of relief then turned his head when he heard Luke's voice.

"Thanks for keeping me updated. Hold down the fort a few minutes longer."

Gunnar moved closer to Luke as he ended the phone call. "Everything okay?"

Luke peered up at Gunnar pensively. "Yeah, it's fine. The media's clamoring for an update. Apparently, their blowing up the phone lines at Wheelin' Dealin', so I'm going to go check into the hotel across the street and see what I can do to put out some fires." Luke pointed his finger at Gunnar and said forcefully, "You tell Will that the only thing he needs to worry about…is Kevin…period. I'm going to take care of everything else including the media. They're not getting anywhere near him if I have anything to say about it, and I plan on having a whole lot to say about it."

Gunnar shoved his hands down into his pockets. "I'll tell him. Oh, by the way, do you know if anyone has contacted Kevin's family?"

"The police said they'd take care of that. Will didn't know a lot but he told them what he knew." Luke hesitated a moment before stepping closer to Gunnar and saying, "Listen, if Will or Kevin needs anything…and I mean anything…I'm your first phone call. Got it?"

Gunnar nodded. "Got it."

Luke smiled slightly as he clapped Gunnar on the shoulder with a slight squeeze. "Good man." Luke turned away but turned back after only a couple of steps. "Oh, and Gunnar? Watch over our boy."

Gunnar watched Luke walk away grateful that someone as high-powered as Luke Wheeler had Will's back. It was one of the many great things about Nashville. People genuinely cared about each other.

* * *

Will had followed the nurse to ICU like a frightened puppy, trailing behind her scanning this way and that with wide, scared eyes. Everything inside him was telling him to run away but instead he put one foot in front of the other until they finally stopped outside a room within ICU. The nurse turned to him with a friendly smile and gestured towards the door. "He's right in there." She walked away leaving him at the threshold.

Will just stood there for several moments. He couldn't manage to get his legs to continue with the last few steps required. It wasn't until he heard Avery's voice in his head " _He needs you Will_ " that he finally moved slowly forward. The next steps took an eternity, the distance between the door and the bed lengthening out into oblivion. When he finally got his first glimpse of Kevin, his legs tried to buckle out from under him and he sagged against the wall. It was just as bad as he imagined.

Kevin was lying on the hospital bed surrounded by machines that whirred and beeped and pinged creating a cacophony of sounds that seemed overwhelming to Will. How was Kevin supposed to rest and get better with all that noise? Kevin's mouth was covered by a breathing tube that Will knew extended down his throat, and it made him want to gag in empathy. But the thing that scared Will the most, more than all the noises, tubes, wires and machines, was how pale he was. Logically Will knew it was due to the blood loss that Kevin had sustained, but that did nothing to assuage his fears.

Will inched closer to the bed on rubbery legs. He was terrified to touch Kevin. He seemed so fragile. Will was suddenly reminded of his childhood. His mother collected porcelain angels that she kept in a curio cabinet in the formal dining room. Normally he would bound through the house like any other typical young boy; but whenever he had to walk through the dining room, which thankfully wasn't very often, he would stop and practically tip-toe through the room with his eyes glued to the cabinet. He was terrified that the slightest motion would topple the angels over and they would shatter into a million pieces. He would always sigh in relief when he managed to make it across the room without incident. Kevin reminded him of those porcelain angels. Would Kevin shatter into a million pieces if Will touched him?

As before, it was Avery's voice that answered him, " _He needs to feel you squeezing his hand with everything you have_." Will peered around the room finding a chair and pulling it close to the bed. He sat down and stared at Kevin's hand for a few moments before finally taking a deep breath and cautiously reaching out. He gently lifted Kevin's hand from the bed and then firmly clasped it between his own. He released the breath he was holding in relief when nothing ominous happened. He brought Kevin's hand up to his lips and kissed it before holding it against his cheek. Will closed his eyes and reveled in Kevin's skin against his own.

Will didn't know how long he sat like that before he finally opened his eyes again. He stared at Kevin's pale skin and felt tears bubbling to the surface. "Don't you dare leave me," he whispered. Clutching Kevin's hand tightly, Will leaned closer to Kevin's ear. "Do you hear me? Don't you dare leave me."


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

Will sat on the hard bench staring at the altar in front of him. He had no idea how he had ended up here. He had been sitting by Kevin's bedside. He didn't know how long he had been there as time had lost all meaning to him. He looked up when the doctor he had seen in the waiting room appeared with a couple of nurses by his side. The doctor had opened his mouth and started speaking to Will but he couldn't decipher it. The doctor could have been speaking in Swahili or ancient Egyptian for all Will could comprehend so he just stared at him stupidly. Will finally managed to understand that they needed him to leave so that they could do…something.

Will hadn't wanted to let go of Kevin's hand, but the nurses gently but efficiently pushed him out into the hallway. He stood there numbly for a while not knowing what he should do. Somehow he had also managed to comprehend that what they were doing would take time, so he slowly turned and shuffled down the hall letting his feet take him where they would. He paid little to no attention to where he was going until his feet stopped outside the hospital chapel where he now found himself sitting on a pew contemplating. Why was he here? What did he want? What was he looking for?

As Will sat there, he thought back to before the shooting. He closed his eyes as he remembered how happy he had been. Kevin had agreed to give their relationship another chance. Will pictured Kevin's smile, the expression on his face before it had suddenly turned horribly wrong. Will jumped slightly as the gunshot echoed through his mind. Then he was cradling Kevin in his arms and there had been blood everywhere. God, so much blood.

Will suddenly opened his eyes and gazed at the altar imploringly. He knew why he was here and what he wanted. "Please," he said brokenly. "Please don't take him." Will blindly reached out and grasped the back of the pew in front of him holding on tightly. "I know I'm the last person you thought would be here. The last person you thought you'd hear from. I haven't spoken to you since I was a kid." Will took a deep breath before continuing. "Please, I'm begging you. Please don't take him. I'll do anything you want. If you want me to give up music, I will. Performing, writing, all of it. I'll wash dishes or dig ditches, I don't care. Just please don't take him."

"Will?"

Will spun around at the sound of his name and stared wide-eyed at the figure standing in the doorway. "Dad?"

Bill Lexington stepped into the room and walked down the aisle until he was standing beside the pew Will was sitting on. "Hello son."

Will couldn't believe that his father was standing in front of him. "What…what are you doing here?"

Bill shrugged slightly. "I saw what happened on the news. I wanted to come and make sure you were okay." Bill waited a few moments for Will to say something but he didn't. "Mind if I sit down?"

Will scooted over so his Dad could sit beside him. They sat in an awkward silence until Will finally spoke up. "How long were you standing there?"

Bill turned and regarded his son meaningfully. "Long enough." Another awkward silence fell between them before Bill continued, "I have to admit; I was surprised."

Will glanced at his Dad askance, stating quietly, "Disgusted you mean?"

Bill stared down at his hands as he replied, "No…surprised."

Will turned his head to view his Dad's profile. "Why is that?"

Bill didn't respond immediately. He examined his hands a few moments longer before taking a deep breath and sitting up straighter. "Because those are almost exactly the same words I used before your Mom passed."

Will felt like he had just been stabbed in the heart. "He didn't hear you. And if he didn't hear you then he sure as Hell isn't going to hear me."

Bill turned to face his son. "God heard me. God hears all of us."

Will snorted in derision. "If that's true, then why is Mom dead?"

Bill turned in his seat so that he was facing Will fully. "Son, listen to me. God has a plan for all of us. The problem is that what we want and what he has planned for us don't always coincide. Your Mom had finished what she needed to accomplish on this earth. Now she's gone on to her next journey, whatever that may be. And as much as that hurts, deep down I know it's for the best."

Will contemplated his father for a moment before saying, "Do you really believe that?"

Bill nodded his head and said confidently, "I do."

Will turned away and the minutes ticked by as they sat in silence until Will finally said in not much more than a whisper, "What if it isn't a plan?"

Bill's brow crinkled slightly, "What do you mean?"

Will stared down into his lap, "What if it's a punishment? For being…what I am." Will watched his father consider that and knew he didn't have an answer. Will shook his head and balled his hands into fists as he felt anger rising inside of him. "I should've known. I should've known better. It was all going too good. Luke re-signed me to his label, my career was starting to pick up, Kevin…Kevin and I were getting back together. It was all too good. I should've known better. I should've…" That was as far as Will got before the first sob tore threw him as any ounce of hope he might have had left him entirely. He was dimly aware of his father reaching for him and pulling him into his arms but it didn't matter. Nothing mattered.

* * *

"Bill?" Luke said as he stood over Will's father with a cup of coffee extended towards him.

Bill looked up tiredly and took the cup from Luke, "Thanks."

Luke sat down next to Bill and glanced around the waiting room. He and Bill were alone in the room. Luke had gone to the hotel and made what seemed like a million phone calls to various media outlets basically giving the same answers over and over. He had then contacted the Atlanta Police Department and gotten an update on the investigation. The gunman was being formally charged with attempted murder in association with a hate crime. It would be upgraded to murder if… Luke shook his head. He didn't want to go down that road.

Luke sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was exhausted. He had tried to get some sleep but his anxiety and concern over both Will and Kevin hadn't allowed him to get more than a couple of hours. He had come back to the hospital and kicked everyone else out with strict instructions to do exactly what he couldn't. Gunnar, Scarlett and Layla had gone to the hotel to eat and get some sleep. Avery had headed back to Nashville to be with Juliette and Cadence.

Apparently, Kevin being shot hadn't been the only scary thing to happen last night. Juliette's plane had left Los Angeles headed back to Nashville when the plane had seemingly disappeared into thin air. It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning that the plane was finally found safe and sound in a remote field about 90 miles outside of Nashville. The plane had lost an engine and needed to perform an emergency landing. Fortunately, besides some minor bumps and bruises, Juliette was fine. It had taken some time to get a vehicle out to the stranded plane but Juliette was now on her way home. Avery had, of course, wanted to be there when she arrived.

Luke squinted at his watch and groaned inwardly. It was hard to believe that it hadn't even been twenty-four hours since the shooting. It certainly felt more like a week at least. Luke peered over at Bill who sat quietly sipping his coffee. "How's Will doing? I haven't seen him since I got back to the hospital."

Bill grimaced, "Not good. I found him in the hospital chapel about an hour ago. He's pretty torn up."

Luke nodded in understanding. He doubted that would change until Kevin's condition improved. Luke sensed that Bill had something on his mind so he prompted him, "Something on your mind Bill?" Bill hesitated so Luke gave him a reassuring smile, "It's just the two of us. You can say anything you like. Won't go any further, I promise."

Bill leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees clutching his coffee cup between his large hands. "I met Kevin briefly that one time I came to Nashville to see Will. He brought me to that event you had set up."

Luke nodded, "I remember."

Bill stared intently at his coffee cup as he said, "What's Kevin like?"

Luke tried to hide his surprise at the question. He didn't know much about Bill but he knew that he was homophobic which was why he and Will had a troubled relationship. Luke wasn't sure why Bill was asking him about Kevin so he replied cautiously, "Kevin's a good guy. Helluva songwriter."

Bill turned slightly towards Luke as he said, "I remember you saying he was one of the best in the business."

Luke nodded, "That's right. He is." Luke studied Bill's profile as he continued, "Beyond that, Kevin's just a down-to-earth kinda guy. He's kind, generous, funny, laid back." Luke thought about Kevin for a moment before he said, "Kevin's got this…quiet confidence about him. He's comfortable in his own skin. I think that's why he's…" Luke stopped short not sure he should continue.

Bill glanced at him quizzically, "Why he's what?"

Luke peered at Bill sheepishly, "Not sure it's what you want to hear."

Bill stared at his coffee cup for a few moments before saying decisively, "Tell me anyway."

Luke watched Bill to see if he would reconsider before he said, "That's why Kevin is so good for Will." Luke waited for Bill to say something but Bill just sat there thinking. "Will can be pretty high-strung."

That elicited a snort from Bill, "You don't say?"

Luke chuckled, "I figured you probably knew that. Kevin's good for Will. Kevin has this ability to…I don't know…center Will. Balance him somehow if that makes any sense."

Bill nodded slightly, "Yeah, it does."

Luke's heart went out to Bill as he realized that Bill was struggling between his love for his son and his convictions. What do you do when two things that are so important to you are on opposite ends of the spectrum and there doesn't seem to be a way to mesh the two together? "I don't know if I told you that I have a son of my own. He'll be turning eighteen soon. He asked my permission recently to join the Army. Initially I said no. Not because I thought it was a bad idea but because I was scared to death that he'd get hurt. Still am. But, he convinced me that it was what he really wanted to do. It was something he believed in. So, I ultimately let him go. Hardest thing I've ever done. But sometimes you need to put your own feelings aside and do what's best for them. Even if you don't necessarily agree with it."

Bill sighed heavily and said quietly, "Hard to do."

Luke thought for a moment before saying, "I've often wondered how your kid can be the worst mistake you ever made wrapped within the best thing you'll ever do in your whole screwed up miserable life." Luke saw Bill nod in agreement in his peripheral vision before he grumbled, "And why the Hell don't they come with an Owner's Manual?"

Bill laughed out loud before the two of them devolved into chuckles easing the heaviness in the room. Bill wiped the wetness from his eye as he said, "When we have something in our hands a lot better than hospital coffee, I'll drink to that."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

Will was back at Kevin's bedside holding his hand tightly. He stroked his thumb unconsciously back and forth across the back of Kevin's hand. He stared at Kevin and wondered if he was still there. What if Kevin was already gone and the machines were just keeping his body functioning? Kevin hadn't twitched or blinked or shown any sign whatsoever that he was still there. What if he wasn't?

It took Will a few moments to realize that a nurse was standing on the other side of Kevin's bed watching him. When he finally looked up at her, he realized it was the same nurse who had led him from the waiting room to ICU. She smiled at him knowingly, "How are you doing Hon?"

Will cleared his throat before answering, "Okay."

The nurse smiled warmly at him, "No offense, but that didn't sound very convincing."

Will dropped his eyes to Kevin's hand and watched his thumb continue its back and forth motion. Of course he didn't sound convincing. He wasn't okay, not by a long shot, but what was he supposed to say? He glanced back up at her when she said, "It's overwhelming isn't it?" When he seemed puzzled, she raised a finger and swirled it around the room. "All this."

Will's eyes glanced at the machines surrounding Kevin's bed and said quietly, "Yeah, it is."

"Would you like me to explain it all to you? Might make it seem less scary for you." She said kindly.

Will shook his head, "No, that's okay. I know you must be busy."

The nurse smiled, "Not too busy for that. Why don't you start by telling me what your relationship is to this handsome guy here?"

Will felt tears prick at his eyes as he said, "Boyfriend." For some reason, saying that word triggered a spark of anger within Will and he spat out defensively, "You got a problem with that?"

Instead of reacting defensively in kind, the nurse's eyes filled with compassion and understanding. "I've worked in this ICU for over twenty years. I've seen every different type of love there is to see. It's all good."

Will lowered his eyes in shame for sniping at her the way he had. "I'm sorry."

The nurse reached over and laid her hand on top of his, "You have nothing to be sorry about sweetie."

The nurse spent the next fifteen minutes explaining all the machines to Will. What they did, what they monitored, what the numbers represented, what each ping meant, etc. She then explained all the tubes going into Kevin's body and what each one was giving him to help him get better. When she was done, she said, "What's bothering you the most?"

Will glanced down at Kevin, "He's so pale."

The nurse waited until he looked back up at her. "He lost a great deal of blood. But we're giving him transfusions and replenishing what he lost. It just takes time. It's perfectly normal."

The nurse seemed so confident and reassuring that Will actually felt some of his hope returning. Maybe Kevin would be okay after all. "He hasn't moved at all. Shouldn't he be waking up soon?"

Will watched as a quizzical expression flitted across the nurse's face. "Didn't the doctor tell you?"

Will suddenly felt his panic come back in force. "Tell me what? What didn't he tell me?"

The nurse held out her hand in a calming gesture. "It's nothing to be afraid of. The doctor is keeping Kevin sedated for the time being."

"Why?" Will said confusedly.

The nurse bent over so she was eye level with Will. "Listen to me; it's nothing for you to be scared about. The doctor is giving Kevin's body as much help as he can to heal itself. We're doing his breathing for him; we're replenishing his blood, pumping nutrients and fluids into him and keeping him unconscious so that his body can focus on healing." The nurse smiled conspiratorially, "When you give the body a helping hand, it's amazing what it can do."

Will glanced back down at Kevin. He had been so caught up on the outside that he hadn't stopped to consider the turmoil that was going on inside Kevin that he couldn't see. It made him feel better knowing that underneath the calm exterior there was a battle raging. Will squeezed Kevin's hand as he looked back up at the nurse. "Thank you. I do feel a little bit better."

The nurse winked at him, "Good. That's what I wanted to hear." Will graced her with a relieved smile as she straightened up. She reached over and brushed Kevin's hair back from his forehead tenderly. "He's a fighter."

"How do you know that?" Will asked curiously.

The nurse peered over at him, "Like I said, I've been in the ICU a long time. I know a fighter when I see one." For the first time since the shooting, Will felt his body start to relax. "I'll get an orderly to bring a cot in so you can get some sleep, and I'll go to the cafeteria and see what I can scrounge up for you to eat."

"Oh, no, that's fine, I'm not..." Will began before he was interrupted by the nurse.

"It's not for you. It's for him." She said. Will stared at her like she had two heads and she laughed. "What I mean is that he needs you to be the strong one. You can't be that if you're exhausted and aren't fueling the machine. You're not eating or sleeping for yourself." The nurse cocked her head towards Kevin. "You're doing it for him. Because he needs you to."

* * *

Will was lying on the cot in Kevin's room stuck in that weird state between asleep and awake. He had taken the nurse's advice and eaten the sandwich and soup that she had brought back for him. It was the last thing that he had wanted to do, but he kept telling himself that he was doing it for Kevin and not himself which helped alleviate his queasiness. He was also attempting to get some much needed sleep; however, his mind wouldn't stop churning. Images kept flashing through his mind's eye: his first kiss with Kevin, the cabin, his father's face when he came out, the girl in the restaurant berating him, the gay bar, watching Luke perform his song, the alleyway, Wade Cole, a beer bottle hurtling towards him, his defaced truck, Cynthia Davis, the shooting and on and on.

Will turned onto his side for the umpteenth time trying to force the images away when Kevin's voice made its way into his subconscious. He couldn't hear what Kevin was saying but he could tell that Kevin was angry. Why was Kevin angry? What memory was this from? The more Will tried to place it the more he realized that it wasn't a memory. Will gasped and then bolted upright on the cot wide awake. He turned towards Kevin, but Kevin was still lying on the bed in the same exact position as before. Will got up and walked over to Kevin's bed peering down into his still face, "Kevin?" Nothing.

Will swiped a hand over his face. He must have been dreaming. Will reached behind him to pull the chair up to the bed when he heard Kevin's voice again. Just as before, Kevin hadn't moved and certainly hadn't spoken. What the Hell? Will's head swiveled towards the door when he heard the voice for the third time. The voice was coming from down the hallway, so it was obviously someone who just sounded like Kevin. Either that or Will was losing it.

Despite knowing that it wasn't Kevin, Will felt compelled to go out into the hallway. When he glanced down the hall towards the nurse's station, he did a double-take. Not only did it sound like Kevin, it looked like Kevin. Will shook his head and blinked hard. Now he knew he was losing it. Will moved down the hall towards the nurse's station. With each step, Will expected the image before him to morph into reality, but it didn't. The closer he got, the more Will felt off-balance, like he had slipped into some sort of alternate reality. He kept glancing back at Kevin's room then back towards the nurse's station. The person in front of him was Kevin, but that wasn't possible.

Kevin was standing at the nurse's station dressed in an impeccable and obviously expensive business suit. He was glaring at the nurse, anger and frustration radiating throughout his body. "How difficult is this you incompetent imbecile? I want the Chief of Staff here now!"

Will felt sorry for the poor flustered nurse that was bearing the brunt of Kevin's wrath. "We're working on…"

"Work harder!" Kevin yelled before leaning towards the nurse menacingly and lowering his voice. "Trust me when I tell you that I am not someone you want to piss off."

Will couldn't stand it any longer, "Kevin?" Kevin turned towards Will causing him to step backwards. This wasn't Kevin. He was a carbon copy of Kevin in almost every way but his eyes were nothing like Kevin's. They were the same color of blue but that was where the similarity ended. These eyes were cold, hard, and ruthless, not the warm, compassionate, and sensitive eyes he was used to.

The eyes flicked down then up his body suspiciously, "Who the Hell are you?"

Before Will could recover from his shock enough to answer, a man appeared next to him. "Mr. Bicks? I was told you wanted to see me."

Will breathed a sigh of relief when those cold eyes snapped away from him and to the man standing to his right. "It's about damn time."

Will saw the man beside him narrow his eyes, his expression stern, as he said, "Mr. Bicks, I realize that you're upset about your brother, but I don't appreciate…"

Will took another step backwards as Kevin's brother charged towards the Chief of Staff to stand directly in front of him invading his personal space. Will had never once thought of Kevin as intimidating but his brother certainly was. "Do you know who I am?" When the Chief of Staff didn't respond quickly enough, he continued, "I am the CFO of a multi-billion dollar corporation, Bicks Enterprises. If you haven't heard of it, I suggest you Google it. I could buy this hospital a hundred times over, so I really don't give a damn what you don't appreciate."

Will held his breath as he waited to see what the Chief of Staff would do. The man sighed in a world weary way giving Will the impression that this was a familiar battle for him. "Perhaps you'd like to go over your brother's condition…"

Kevin's brother didn't allow him to finish before snapping, "I already know my brother's condition. What I don't know is what you plan to do about it?"

"I assure you every step is being taken to ensure…" the Chief of Staff started before being cut off again.

"Spare me the hospital rhetoric and let me make things crystal clear for you. My brother will have the best. Fortunately for you, the best doctor in Atlanta happens to be right here in your pathetic little hospital. Dr. Joseph Martin is my brother's doctor. Nobody else is acceptable. Is that clear?" Kevin's brother demanded.

The Chief of Staff regarded Kevin's brother resignedly before stating, "If that's what you want, I'm sure we can make those arrangements."

Kevin's brother leaned in closer and said quietly, "See that you do. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to see my brother."

The nurse behind the counter made the mistake of trying to be helpful when she uttered, "He's in room…"

Kevin's brother whirled around and pinned her in a withering glare, "I know where my brother is." He purposely made eye contact with everyone blatantly willing anyone to defy him before spinning on his heel and walking down the hall. Will watched as he turned into Kevin's room and disappeared.

* * *

Will entered Kevin's room no more than two minutes after Kevin's brother. He stopped in the doorway when he saw Kevin's brother standing at the foot of the bed with his eyes closed. Will hesitated unsure what his next move should be. Kevin had a brother? A twin brother? That he never once mentioned? That had to mean something didn't it? Will couldn't imagine why Kevin would never mention something like that.

As Will regarded Kevin's brother suspiciously, Kevin's brother opened his eyes and smiled slightly, "Don't sound so surprised. Did you really think I wouldn't come?" Will watched as Kevin's brother meandered around the foot of the bed studiously examining Kevin and his surroundings. "This is a fine mess you've gotten yourself into. Although I can't say that I'm shocked considering the degenerates you insist on surrounding yourself with." Kevin's brother peered down at Kevin and cocked his head as if he was listening to something. He suddenly rolled his eyes, "Spare me the self-righteous indignation. You're hardly in a position."

Will's curiosity outweighed his suspicion as he stepped further into the room, "Are you actually talking with him?"

Kevin's brother turned at the sound of Will's voice and repeated his question from earlier, "Who the Hell are you?"

Will's initial reaction was to blurt out his name but he stopped himself. As he stared back at Kevin's brother, Will realized that there was no reason why he should be intimidated by this person. His days of being intimidated by anyone were over. Will stood up straighter and said defiantly, "Who the Hell are you?"

Kevin's brother blinked at Will in surprise before looking down at Kevin then looking back up at Will with an expression that clearly stated that Will was the stupidest person on the planet. "You're kidding, right?"

Will mentally kicked himself before saying, "I get that you're Kevin's brother. I don't know your name."

Kevin's brother eyed Will sizing him up, and Will wondered if they were at an impasse. How ridiculous would it be if they stood in Kevin's room staring at each other with neither one of them willing to give an inch? Fortunately, it didn't come to that. "Kieran Bicks. And you are?"

Will relaxed slightly feeling as though he had won the first minor skirmish. "Will, Will Lexington."

There was an awkward silence as Kieran stared at Will expectantly. Will had no idea what he was waiting for. Finally, Kieran sighed exasperatedly, "Unlike me, your relationship to my brother is less than obvious. Care to enlighten me?"

Will mentally kicked himself again. Of course Kieran didn't know who he was. "Oh, right, uhm, boyfriend, I'm Kevin's boyfriend."

Kieran responded condescendingly, "Oh. So, you're the latest link in the very lengthy chain?"

Will's jaw dropped, "Excuse me?"

Kieran's eyes raked over Will, "I can see that my brother's taste in men hasn't improved." As Will stood there in stunned silence, Kieran waved a hand at him dismissively. "You can go." Will watched as Kieran reached behind him, pulled the chair closer to the bed and sat down. Kieran took his brother's hand then glanced back up at Will surprised to see him still standing there. "Are you deaf?"

Will balled his hands into fists as he felt anger bubbling up inside of him, "Who the Hell do you think you are?"

Kieran raised an eyebrow at him before saying, "Didn't we just have this conversation?"

Will stepped closer to the bed, "I'm his boyfriend."

Kieran peered up at him like he was a slow child, "Again, had this conversation." When Will did nothing but stand there and glare at him, he continued in a sing-song voice, "Brother…trumps…boyfriend."

Watching Kieran smile up at him cockily amped Will's anger up to seething, "If you think for one second, that I'm leaving…"

Will was thrown off momentarily when Kieran shot up out of his seat and confronted Will. "Listen to me carefully you simpleton. I'm a blood relative. You are not. Now you may not be aware of this, but most hospitals have a policy of only allowing blood relatives into the ICU. Most hospitals don't enforce that but they will if pushed. Do you understand me?"

Will narrowed his eyes and stepped closer, "You need to understand me. I'm…not…leaving."

Kieran's jaw clenched as he spit out, "Don't think I won't call security to have you removed."

Will leaned in, their faces inches apart from each other over Kevin's bed. "Try it."

Kieran's lips curled up on one side in a sardonic smile. "You have no idea what I'm capable of."

Will's retort died on his lips as Kieran suddenly gasped, stumbling backwards as a shudder ripped through his body. A confused expression alighted momentarily on Kieran's face before his eyes darted to Kevin. Will's eyes flew down to Kevin as well but he saw nothing different than before. Will felt a chill run down his spine when he heard Kieran say quietly, "Get a nurse."

Will glanced back at Kieran with wide eyes, "Okay, you're freaking me out. What's going on? What's wrong?"

Kieran turned to Will with a look in his eyes that Will had never seen before and hoped he would never see again because it scared the Hell out of him. "Get them now."

Will bolted for the doorway. He glanced back into the room before shooting out into the hall. Kieran had a death grip on Kevin's upper arm, leaning over him pleadingly, "Don't do this. Do you hear me? Don't you do this."

Will raced halfway down the hall towards the nurse's station and screamed, "Help! Please, we need help!" When he saw the nurse's start running towards him, he turned back around and raced back to Kevin's room. Just as he hit Kevin's doorway, the alarms went off. As he entered the room, he watched in horror as the heart monitor flat lined. Everything for Will went into slow motion. He stumbled to his right as the nurses started to brush past him and into the room. He was dimly aware of Kieran screaming "No" before the nurses were there pulling him away from Kevin so they could do their job. More and more people poured into the room and somehow both he and Kieran were pushed out into the hall and then the door was closed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

Will and Kieran were sitting in the hospital cafeteria nursing cups of coffee. The doctor had finally come out of Kevin's room to inform them that Kevin had been stabilized. He then proceeded to reprimand them for agitating Kevin which had caused him to crash. "What exactly were you two doing that upset him so much?"

Realizing that his argument with Kieran had caused Kevin harm, Will was overwhelmed with guilt, and he apologized profusely. Kieran remained silent but it was blatantly obvious that he was pissed. It took Will a few minutes to realize that Kieran wasn't mad at the doctor for reprimanding him. He was mad at Kevin.

The doctor had strongly suggested that the two of them leave Kevin alone to rest, so they had ended up in the cafeteria. Kieran was across from Will sitting in a chair sideways brooding while Will was slouched in the opposite chair glaring at him. He was struggling to understand how two people who looked identical could be so different. "I can't believe you're mad at Kevin."

"My brother is a petulant child." Kieran spat.

Will sat up straighter in his seat and leaned forward, "He nearly died."

Kieran turned and narrowed his eyes at him, "And why was that? Because he heard Mommy and Daddy arguing and decided to have a temper tantrum."

Will snorted as he leaned back in his chair, "You are nothing like Kevin."

Kieran turned away as he said, "Thank you."

Will folded his arms across his chest and gripped his elbows hard to keep from reaching across the table and smacking Kieran. "That wasn't a compliment."

An extended silence ensued as they sat lost in their own thoughts. Will mostly glared at Kieran wishing that his head would explode. In his peripheral vision, Will saw a pretty nurse walk by and was surprised when Kieran's eyes followed her appreciatively. "You're not gay."

Kieran sneered at him in disgust. "Of course not."

Will immediately started backpedaling, "I'm sorry, I just…assumed…"

"Well don't," Kieran snapped.

Will regarded Kieran with interest. "Is that why you and Kevin don't get along? Because he's gay?"

An expression crossed Kieran's face but he averted his eyes before Will could identify what it was. "What makes you think we don't get along?"

Will studied Kieran's face trying to figure him out. "Maybe the fact that Kevin never mentioned you?"

Will saw the expression again briefly before Kieran suddenly peered at him with a gleam in his eye and a snide smile on his lips. "I'm not the only thing my brother hasn't mentioned."

"What are you talking about?" Will asked cautiously.

Kieran turned in his seat so that he was facing Will and placed his elbows on the table. Whatever expression Will had seen on Kieran's face was now replaced with the cocky confidence Will had become familiar with. "Let me guess. My brother has you believing that he's just a lowly songwriter barely eking out a living with his little jingles."

"Kevin writes songs not jingles." Will said defensively.

Kieran waved his hand in impatience, "Tomato, tomahto."

Will clenched his jaw in irritation, "Your point?"

Kieran made a show of glancing around the room to ensure that they weren't being eavesdropped on before indicating for Will to move closer. Will leaned in and Kieran whispered, "My brother is worth millions." He then sat back with a self-satisfied smile.

Will didn't react. "Why the Hell would I believe you?"

Kieran's smile got impossibly bigger. "Why would I lie? Our grandfather started the company, Bicks Enterprises, and made the first million. My father took over and extended our reach across the United States and into Canada. In the last ten years, we've gone global. Technically we have enough money to buy a few small countries. Of course, my net worth is far greater than my brother's but his certainly isn't chump change." Kieran sat back up and leaned forward. "But my brother didn't share any of that with you…did he?" Kieran tilted his head and watched Will closely but Will refused to give him any type of reaction. "My brother doesn't live in reality. He prefers to live in his own little fantasy world. You're just a pawn in his game."

Will slapped his hand down hard on the table with a resounding thwack causing everyone in the room to turn and stare. "Stop it! I don't know what your game is, but I don't believe you for half a second. Kevin isn't like that."

Kieran shook his head and said in mock sympathy, "Will…"

"He isn't," Will insisted. "Kevin is kind and generous and has a huge heart. He would never play with someone like that. You on the other hand? Wouldn't put it past you one bit." Kieran sat back and crossed his arms in front of his chest with that same self-satisfied smile on his face that made Will want to reach across and backhand him. "Well at least I have a pretty good idea why you and Kevin don't get along." That elusive expression passed across Kieran's eyes again. What the Hell was it? Why couldn't Will place it? Then it hit him. Guilt. On a hunch Will asked, "What did you do to him?"

Kieran's smile disappeared as he looked at Will in surprise. "What did you say?"

Will leaned forward and stared directly into Kieran's eyes. He was on to something. "I said…what did you do to him?"

For the first time, Kieran seemed uncomfortable. "I don't know what you're talking about." Will continued to stare at Kieran until he started to squirm. "I don't have to tell you anything."

Now it was Will's turn to smile in satisfaction, "That bad?" Kieran averted his eyes and fidgeted nervously. "Tell me," Will demanded.

Kieran continued to fidget for a long time while Will patiently glared at him until he finally cracked. "Fine," he snapped. "You want to know what I did that was so terrible." Will continued to glare at him and remained silent. Kieran's mouth opened and closed a few times before he finally managed, "I was the one who outed him to our father."

Will cocked his head at Kieran and said, "You told Kevin's Dad that he was gay?"

"It was an accident," Kieran said defensively.

"An accident?" Will said in disbelief. "Hey Dad pass the peas and oh by the way Kevin's gay?"

"It wasn't like that," Kieran muttered miserably.

Will sat back in his chair. "Well this I'd like to hear."

Will didn't think Kieran was going to tell him. Kieran sat in his chair staring at his lap for a long time before he finally started to speak quietly. "Kevin and I were actually very close when we were young. Inseparable really. Even our mother had trouble telling us apart. But that all changed when we became teenagers. We started drifting apart. Kevin turned into a completely different person."

"Maybe Kevin wasn't the one who changed," Will interrupted.

Kieran looked up at Will and stated matter-of-factly, "Our father had certain expectations of us. I followed the plan. Kevin rebelled." Kieran's eyes drifted away as he remembered back. "Kevin challenged our father on every little thing. I couldn't understand him anymore. As a result, Kevin and I started arguing. More like battles really. I would get so mad at him."

"Is that what happened? You outed him because you were mad at him? To get back at him?" Will asked.

Kieran's eyes locked with Will's, "I said it was an accident." Kieran's eyes darted away again, "Kevin and I were arguing one day. It was a particularly bad one. I don't remember what it was about, but I remember being more furious with him than I had ever been. I was screaming at him. Then our father walked in and demanded to know what was going on."

Will leaned forward riveted to Kieran's story. Kieran looked at him and for the first time Will saw Kevin in his eyes. "I don't know why I said it. Didn't even realize that I had. But there it was. Hanging in the room like a poisonous gas waiting to strangle us all." Will watched as Kieran's eyes filled with tears. "I'll never forget the look on Kevin's face. Utter betrayal." Kieran blinked then turned away quickly swiping at the lone tear that dared to escape.

Will hadn't thought it was possible for him to feel sorry for Kieran, but he did. "What happened next?"

Kieran took a moment to clear his throat and rein in his emotions. "It was horrible. I've never seen our father like that. He said some truly awful things to Kevin. Kevin never even looked at him. He just stared at me the whole time. And that's when I knew."

"Knew what?" Will asked curiously.

"That's when I knew that it was broken," Kieran responded sadly. "Kevin's never forgiven me. He never will."

Will peered down at the table top mulling that over. "Are you sure?"

Kieran's head snapped back to Will. "What do you mean am I sure?"

Will shrugged his shoulders. "Kevin's a pretty forgiving person."

Kieran's eyes hardened. "This is unforgivable."

Will considered pursuing the matter further but he could tell that Kieran wasn't in the mood to hear what he had to say. Will was pretty sure that Kieran was the one that couldn't forgive himself not the other way around. He decided to discuss it with Kevin later. Will allowed the silence to stretch on giving Kieran a chance to compose himself. As he sat there thinking back over the day, he suddenly remembered something. "You never answered my question."

"What question was that?" Kieran asked quizzically.

"Earlier today, in Kevin's room," Will explained. "I asked you if you were talking to him."

The confused expression cleared from Kieran's face. "Oh that."

Will leaned forward in fascination, "Can you read each other's minds?"

Kieran gave him the same disbelieving look as earlier making Will feel like the stupidest person on the planet. "Of course not, that's ridiculous."

Will bristled at the reaction, "Well, it certainly seemed like you were having a conversation with him."

"I was," Kieran stated like that was obvious. At Will's befuddled expression, Kieran huffed in impatience, "It's a twin thing. You wouldn't understand."

Will wasn't going to let it go that easily. "Explain it to me."

"It's difficult to explain." Kieran said hoping Will would take the hint. When Will stared at him in anticipation, he sighed heavily. "We can't read each other's mind. It's more of a…feeling. Some people refer to it as a sixth sense. It's stronger in some twins than in others. Some twins don't have it at all. Nobody knows why exactly. Kevin and I have always had a strong connection that way. We can just…sense each other." Kieran peered at Will to see if he understood. Apparently, Will's face conveyed some remaining puzzlement for Kieran turned away muttering, "I told you it was difficult to explain."

Will regarded Kieran for a moment before saying, "That's how you knew Kevin was going to crash before the machines did." When Kieran didn't respond, Will sat back in his seat. "Wow, that's fascinating."

Before Will could even blink, the Kieran he knew and disliked was back in force with the same condescending cockiness in his eyes and the snide smile, "You have no idea how happy I am that I could amuse you."

Will snorted, "You know for a moment there I actually forgot what a condescending jackass you are."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

For the next two days, Will and Kieran sat at Kevin's bedside each of them holding one of Kevin's hands. Without verbalizing it, they had formed an uneasy truce. Bill or Luke showed up every couple of hours to bring coffee or food and offer encouragement. Will had convinced Gunnar, Scarlett and Layla to leave telling them that it was senseless for all of them to hang around. Kevin's condition was slowly improving each day, and Will promised to contact each of them with progress reports. Before leaving, Gunnar forced Will to look him in the eye and swear to all things holy that he would call Gunnar if he needed anything. Gunnar refused to leave otherwise.

Will smiled slightly to himself as he thought about the great friends he had when he was startled by a growl from Kieran. Kieran reached over and pushed the nurse's call button. At Will's anxious expression, he snarled, "I don't know why these morons can't remember to give him his pain medication."

Within a minute, the nurse who had taken so much time with Will to explain all the machines surrounding Kevin entered the room. "Something wrong?" she asked.

"What's wrong is the nursing staff here is incompetent." Kieran snapped. "Why do I constantly have to remind you to give my brother his pain medication?"

Will grimaced and shifted in his chair uncomfortably. He hated Kieran acting this way towards the nice nurse. She didn't deserve it. The nurse calmly grabbed Kevin's chart and scanned it before saying, "He isn't due for his pain medication for another thirty minutes. I'm afraid I'm not allowed…"

Kieran shot out of his chair before she could finish and confronted her. "I don't care what you are not allowed to do. I will not allow my brother to be in pain. So page the doctor or call him or whatever it is you need to do…now!"

The nurse placed Kevin's chart back in its place. "Certainly…I'll be back shortly."

Once the nurse left, Kieran came back and sat down his face rigid with anger. Will anxiously asked him, "Is he in a lot of pain?"

"It's tolerable," Kieran said as he clasped Kevin's hand. "But I'm not waiting until it's unbearable."

Will nodded as they waited for the nurse to return which she did a few minutes later with a tray in her hand containing a syringe and a small bottle. Kieran shot daggers at her as she administered the medication into Kevin's IV grumbling that it was about time. The nurse just smiled at Kieran patiently and gave Will a wink before leaving the room. Will gave Kieran an excuse and followed her out into the hallway. "Excuse me," Will called out. When the nurse turned towards him, he addressed her sheepishly, "I'm so sorry about Kieran. He's a jerk. Please don't take it personally."

The nurse smiled as she took a few steps back towards him. "It's nice of you to apologize on his behalf but it isn't necessary."

Will shuffled his feet uncomfortably, "I feel like it is. You don't deserve to be treated that way."

The nurse regarded him calmly for a moment before saying, "Let me tell you something I've learned from this place. Fear is as sly as the proverbial fox. It likes to masquerade as other emotions." The nurse reached out and touched Will's arm. "Don't let it fool you." The nurse squeezed Will's arm slightly before turning and walking away.

Will walked slowly back to Kevin's room and stood in the doorway contemplating Kieran. Kieran was sitting beside the bed holding Kevin's hand, his head bent down. In Will's animosity towards Kieran, he had forgotten that Kieran was just as scared about Kevin as he was. Maybe more so. Will sighed as he decided to cut Kieran some slack.

Will walked back into the room and sat down across from Kieran. He reached down and pulled Kevin's hand up to his lips, kissing it softly, and then placing it next to his cheek. Kieran seemed lost in thought so Will cleared his throat to get his attention before saying, "Have you heard from your parents?"

Kieran shifted in his chair as he responded, "I've been in contact with our mother. Let her know how Kevin's doing."

"Not your Dad?" At Kieran's grim expression, Will said, "Guess not."

Kieran's thumb stroked the back of Kevin's hand as he stared down intently. "Our father no longer acknowledges Kevin," Kieran said quietly. "Whenever he meets someone, he tells them he only has one son."

Will snorted slightly as he responded sarcastically, "Nice guy." Kieran shot him an angry look, and Will braced himself for the ensuing harangue but Kieran just clenched his jaw and glanced away. After a few moments, Will asked with curiosity, "Where does your mother stand in all this?"

Will watched as Kieran considered his answer before replying, "We were seventeen when the…incident…with our father happened. Things were impossibly strained between Kevin and him after that. It was as if our father declared war against Kevin and everyone had to pick a side. I chose our father." Kieran stared down at Kevin's hand guiltily. "Our poor mother was caught in the cross fire. She tried to be a mediator but our father was having none of it. She was either with him or against him. If it had been left up to her, she would have chosen Kevin."

"What do you mean if it had been left up to her?" Will asked.

Kieran looked up at Will with an expression on his face that Will couldn't quite identify. Admiration perhaps? "Kevin made her choice for her. He left home on our eighteenth birthday. Once I realized that he was gone, I found our mother in her bedroom crying. She never said anything, but I always knew that Kevin had told her to stay with our father. That's where she belonged."

Will glanced at Kevin, his heart going out to him. Kevin never spoke about his family. He had only mentioned his father the one time when they had their first writing session together. He had no idea it was as bad as it was. Then Will remembered something…the cabin. Kevin had told him that he had gotten his parent's permission to use it. Will cocked his head and asked Kieran, "So, have both you and your mother stayed in touch with Kevin all these years?"

Kieran nodded, "Yes. Both my mother and I reached out to Kevin in our own time and in our own way."

"Weren't you afraid of what your father would think or do?" Will asked warily.

Kieran smiled slightly, "My father isn't a stupid man. Sometimes it's in your own best interest to stay deliberately oblivious."

"Is he okay with you being here?" Will asked quietly.

"Let's just say he's being tolerant," Kieran responded.

* * *

Will wandered into the hospital waiting room and found Luke sitting in a chair working on his laptop. Luke glanced up as Will made his way across the room. "Where's my Dad?" Will asked.

Luke pushed the top down on the laptop as he responded, "He went to the hotel to get some sleep." As Will slid into the chair next to him, Luke peered at Will in concern. "Everything okay?"

Will waved his hand in dismissal, "Yeah, everything's fine. I just thought I'd give Kieran some time alone with Kevin."

Luke shook his head slightly, "I still can't believe that Kevin has a twin."

Will nodded in agreement, "I know right? What I can't believe is how different they are. It's almost like night and day with those two."

Luke regarded Will closely, "You two getting along alright?"

Will grunted slightly in response, "Let's just say we're being civil and leave it at that."

Luke grinned, "Fair enough. How's Kevin doing? Any updates?"

"The doctor says he's improving," Will answered. "Slowly."

Luke reached up and gave Will's shoulder a squeeze, "Slowly is better than not at all."

They sat in a companionable silence until Will noticed Luke peeking at him occasionally like he wanted to say something but wasn't sure whether he should or not. "Is there something you're not telling me?"

Luke hesitated before finally saying, "Do you want some good news?"

Will couldn't contain his surprise, "Are you kidding? Of course I do. Why would you even hesitate telling me something good?"

Luke sighed, "Sometimes when you're in the middle of a horrible event, you don't necessarily want to hear that something positive came out of it. This actually happened the morning after the shooting but, with Kevin's condition touch and go, I didn't think you were in the right frame of mind to hear about it. I didn't want to be insensitive or downplay what happened to Kevin in any way."

"I know you wouldn't do that," Will said with conviction. "What other label head, except maybe Rayna, would spend days on end in a hospital waiting room for one of their artists' boyfriends?"

"Hey," Luke said seriously, "you are more than just an artist to me. You're a friend. And I consider Kevin one too."

Will smiled at Luke warmly, "Thank you. I mean that, you've been great through all this. I really appreciate everything you've done."

Luke smiled back, "Glad to do it. Now do you want to hear that good news or not?"

Will laughed, "Yes sir."

"Okay," Luke said as he reopened his laptop and brought something up on the screen. He passed the laptop over to Will, "Watch this."

Will took the laptop from Luke and saw Good Morning America's Robin Roberts' face come on the screen.

" _Last night in Atlanta, Kevin Bicks, a successful Nashville songwriter and boyfriend of up-and-coming country artist Will Lexington, was shot and is currently in critical condition at Grady Memorial Hospital. The shooter has been identified as a follower of Cynthia Davis, a conservative talk show host. At this time, the shooter is being held on charges of attempted murder in association with a hate crime._

 _Luke Wheeler, label head for Wheelin' Dealin' records, recently re-signed Will Lexington and both were guests on GMA a few weeks ago where Luke had strong words for country radio urging them to play Will's music despite his sexual orientation. In response, Cynthia Davis criticized Luke and Will for spreading, in her words, a homosexual agenda. After weeks of bitter feuding, Cynthia Davis finally agreed to let Will Lexington appear on her show. The show aired less than an hour prior to the shooting which happened outside the studio where the show is televised._

 _The Nashville community has rallied in force over this heinous act of violence to one of their own. It is no exaggeration when I say that Twitter has imploded this morning as word of the shooting became known. Seemingly every country artist with a Twitter account has tweeted their outrage along with their well wishes to both Kevin and Will. Artists from Dolly Parton, Miley Cyrus, Luke Bryan, Vince Gill, Pam Tillis, Blake Shelton, Kacey Musgraves, Ty Herndon, Chely Wright, Billy Gilman, Brad Paisley, Thomas Rhett, Reba McEntire and the list goes on and on. To quote country royalty Rayna Jaymes, she tweeted 'Nashville is a family. You hurt one of us; you hurt all of us'._

 _We will keep you posted as more information becomes available. The GMA family sends their prayers along with our hopes for a full and speedy recovery."_

"Wow," Will said as the video clip ended. "That's real nice."

Luke snorted, "It's a lot more than just nice Will. Kevin getting shot has completely turned the tide. Those names Robin rattled off are just the tip of the iceberg. Lots of country artists who have stayed quiet about marriage equality and gay issues because they were afraid of alienating their conservative fan bases are now speaking out. It was definitely a domino effect. Once a few country artists started the ball rolling, there was no stopping it."

Will looked at Luke in growing disbelief, "You're kidding?"

"No I'm not," Luke responded. "This shooting was like a lightning strike directly into the heart of the country music community galvanizing it. I think a lot of people realized that staying silent was almost as bad, if not the same as, supporting the hatred. This was a wake-up call."

Will looked down at the computer lying across his lap. "I don't even know what to say about that."

"When you're ready, you're going to have a lot to say about it," Luke said.

Will glanced back up at Luke, "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Luke said, "that this shooting just changed the course of your career. Wheelin' Dealin' has been fielding numerous inquiries from venues asking about your availability to perform not to mention talk show appearances. You are a very hot commodity right now."

Will just shook his head in shock, "I can't even wrap my brain around that."

Luke peered at Will somberly, "Now you know why I was so hesitant to mention this to you. It isn't easy telling someone that their worst nightmare is also one of the best things that ever happened to them, especially when the person they love most is lying on a hospital bed clinging to life. If that isn't a double-edged sword, I don't know what is."

Will smiled slightly, "You're right. If you had told me this two days ago, I would've smashed this laptop into a billion pieces. And that's just for starters." Will leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees contemplating the floor. "Why does it have to come to this? Why does something horrible have to happen before people stand up and do the right thing?"

Luke leaned forward and mimicked Will's pose, "I don't know. Sometimes people just need a good, swift kick in the ass. Regardless, we've turned a corner. Maybe now it won't be so hard for you."

"Let's hope so," Will said.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

Two days later, Will and Kieran were standing in the hall outside Kevin's room. Will was leaning against the nurse's station with his arms across his chest while Kieran slowly paced back and forth staring at the floor. The doctor had kicked them out so he could examine Kevin. The doctor kept insisting that Kevin's condition was improving but both Will and Kieran were becoming less convinced. It had been five days since the shooting and Kevin still hadn't so much as twitched. It was starting to dawn on Will that he hadn't truly grasped how close to death Kevin had actually been. In hindsight, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing.

Will glanced up sharply when Kieran suddenly starting coughing. If Kieran had been eating, Will would have been sure that he was choking on something. Kieran's face reddened and he seemed to be struggling for air. "Are you okay?" Will said just as a nurse appeared next to Kieran holding a cup of water.

Kieran nodded slightly as he grabbed the water out of the nurse's hand and drank, spluttering between gulps. The coughing finally subsided and Kieran cleared his throat a few times before grimacing, "Well that was unpleasant."

Will stepped up to Kieran in concern, "What was unpleasant? What happened?"

Kieran turned and peered at Will with a slightly befuddled expression on his face. "I think they just removed the breathing tube."

Will turned to glance at Kevin's door before turning back to Kieran and asking anxiously, "That's good right?"

Kieran just shrugged in response. The next fifteen minutes dragged by with Will now pacing back and forth while Kieran leaned against the nurse's station. Finally, the doctor emerged from Kevin's room with an encouraging expression. Will stepped up to him and asked, "How is he?"

"You'll be happy to know that Kevin is doing much better," the doctor responded. "We've removed the breathing tube, so he's now breathing on his own. I've also instructed the nurses to start weaning him off the sedatives. It's about time he woke up."

Will let out a breath as relief washed over him. "When do you think that will be?"

The doctor considered for a moment before replying, "I don't expect he'll be fully conscious for at least another eight hours or so, but you should start seeing signs long before then." The doctor turned as the nurse came out of Kevin's room. "You can go back in now. We're through."

"Thanks Doc," Will said as the doctor walked away down the hall.

Will walked back into Kevin's room and stood at the foot of the bed smiling. It was amazing how much better Kevin looked without the breathing tube. Kieran brushed past him to retake his seat next to Kevin's bed. He glanced at Will quizzically, "Something wrong?"

Will shook his head as he responded, "No. I was just thinking how much better he looks without that horrible breathing tube."

Kieran reached out and stroked the back of his fingers across Kevin's cheek. "His color seems better too."

Will walked around the bed and sat down in the chair that seemed like it was a part of him considering the hours he had spent in it. He picked up Kevin's hand as he and Kieran continued their vigil. True to the doctor's word, they both started to see small signs that Kevin was regaining consciousness. Will had never been so happy to see a finger twitch in his whole life. Almost ten hours later, Kevin moaned and turned his head slightly. Will shared an anxious glance with Kieran before he reached over and stroked his hand through Kevin's hair and brushed his thumb over his forehead.

"Kevin? Can you hear me? Come on Kev open your eyes. I know you can. Let me see those beautiful blue eyes." Will coaxed soothingly.

Finally, Will was rewarded as Kevin's eyes slowly blinked open. Will couldn't contain the smile that stretched across his face as Kevin whispered a raspy, "Will?"

"That's right. It's me." Will squeezed Kevin's hand hard as he tried to contain the emotions that were trying to overwhelm him. "You scared the Hell outta me."

Kevin swallowed then said, "Sorry."

Will stroked his thumb over Kevin's forehead, "It's okay. It's not your fault."

"Forgot."

Will's forehead creased slightly in confusion, "Forgot? What did you forget?"

"Duck."

Will sat up straighter as he said uncomprehendingly, "Duck? What duck?" Will glanced over at Kieran. "What the Hell is he talking about?"

Kieran stared back at Will with an equally perplexed look on his face before something suddenly clicked and he burst into relieved laughter. It took a moment before he could finally respond to Will's confused expression. "He forgot to duck."

For the first time in a very long time, Will laughed. He leaned down and kissed Kevin soundly on his forehead. "We are definitely going to have to work on that."

* * *

Will smiled as he sauntered into the hospital. Today was a great day. Today was the day that he was finally taking Kevin home. It had been over three weeks since Kevin had opened his eyes, and the doctor had determined that he was well enough to be released from the hospital. Luke had a car waiting outside to take Will and Kevin to the airport where Luke was making sure the jet was ready to go when they arrived. Will was eternally grateful for everything Luke had done for him over the last couple of months. There was no way Will would ever be able to repay him.

As Will rode up in the elevator, his thoughts wandered to his Dad. Will shook his head slightly. His Dad had surprised him in a lot of ways. He had shown up when Will needed him and stayed until just a couple of days ago. He had been supportive and, despite his convictions, was trying. Will still had a lot of unresolved feelings about what his Dad had done to him when he was a teen, but the man was making an effort to reach out to Will. Should Will take the olive branch that was being offered? Could he forgive his Dad for the past? Will wasn't sure but he smiled knowing that Kevin would help him sort it all out. Will closed his eyes and silently thanked God for allowing him to have that chance.

As soon as Will stepped off the elevator, he could hear shouting. He quickened his pace and burst into Kevin's room. "What the Hell is going on in here?" Will glanced at Kieran, who was standing beside Kevin's bed panting slightly, his face flushed, and his eyes sparking with anger. Will then glanced over to Kevin who was sitting on the bed with his arms crossed, his face pale, and jaw set stubbornly. Will confronted Kieran, "He hasn't even been dismissed from the hospital yet. What were you thinking?" Kieran's eyes flicked to Will for only a second before glaring at Kevin again. "What were you arguing about?"

Although Will had directed the question to Kieran, Kevin was the one who answered with a terse, "It's nothing."

Will shot a look at Kevin before turning back to Kieran. Kieran took a deep breath as he straightened his suit jacket. He turned to Will with an insincere smile and that damned cockiness and said, "Just a difference of opinion." He turned back to Kevin, the smile fading, as he said snottily, "Isn't that right brother dear?"

Kevin didn't say a word. He simply glared at Kieran as his jaw clenched even tighter.

Kevin's doctor appeared at the door and immediately sensed the tension in the room. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No, not at all Doc." Will said as he eyed the brothers with displeasure. "Just a slight family squabble. Nothing important. Everything all set?"

"Yes, I just need Kevin's signature on a few forms then he's all yours." The doctor placed the folder on Kevin's tray table and showed him where he needed to sign flipping the pages as he went along. When he was done, the doctor scooped up the folder, "That's all I needed. I've already sent your file to your primary care physician in Nashville, but if you have any questions or need anything, please don't hesitate to call me."

The doctor reached out and Kevin shook his hand with a subdued "Thank you."

Once the doctor left, a silence descended over the room. Will watched the two brothers fidget. It was obvious that both of them had words left unspoken but neither one was willing to be the first to speak. Will growled in impatience and said, "Okay, I'm done waiting for you two to get over yourselves. Let's get the Hell outta here."

"Yes, I should be going." Kieran took a few steps towards the door but then stopped and stood still for a moment with his head bowed. He let out a sigh before turning and coming back to where Kevin sat on the bed. He reached into his inner jacket pocket and held out a piece of paper towards Kevin.

Kevin peered up at him suspiciously, "What is that?"

Kieran rolled his eyes slightly, "It isn't a snake Kevin. It won't bite you."

Kevin cautiously took the paper from Kieran and unfolded it. As he read, his expression changed to disbelief. "This is the title to the cabin. Why are you giving me this?"

"The title has been transferred to you. It's yours." Kieran stated matter-of-factly.

Kevin shook his head in disgust as he folded the paper and held it back out to Kieran. "I can't accept this."

Kieran didn't take the paper back as he snapped, "For God's sake Kevin, it's a cabin in the middle of nowhere not a mansion in the Hamptons. You're the only one who uses it. Nobody else even remembers that it exists."

Kevin stubbornly held the paper out to Kieran, "I can't accept it."

Kieran narrowed his eyes at him and snarled, "It's not that you can't, you won't." Will watched as the two glared at each other wondering if he should step in. Then suddenly Kieran's demeanor changed. He seemed defeated as he quietly said, "Why do you make it so hard for me to do anything nice for you?" Then just as suddenly the momentary lapse of weakness passed. "Suit yourself. Let the damn thing rot for all I care." Kieran spun on his heel and stormed towards the door stopping abruptly when Kevin called his name. He turned his head slowly and spat, "What!"

Kevin gingerly stood up from the bed and swayed slightly. Will reached out to steady him but Kevin waved him away. Kieran turned around as he watched Kevin slowly make his way across the room to him. Without saying a word, Kevin wrapped his arms around Kieran and hugged him fiercely. For a moment, Kieran just stood there before wrapping his arms around Kevin and hugging him back just as tightly. They stood that way for some time as Will tried to be inconspicuous. When they parted, they stood staring at each other for a few moments not speaking. Kieran smiled slightly then nodded, and Will got the distinct impression that an agreement had been reached between the two. Kieran gave Kevin's shoulder a final squeeze before turning and walking out the door.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

"Welcome aboard," Luke said jovially as Will helped Kevin lower himself into one of the jet's cushy seats. Luke gazed down at Kevin fondly, "It is so good to see you out of that hospital bed my friend."

Kevin smiled up at Luke, "It's good to be out of it. By the way, thanks for having someone drive my car back to Nashville."

Luke waved a dismissive hand at him, "Don't mention it. Do you need anything? I checked with the pilot, and we should be taking off in about fifteen or twenty minutes."

Kevin opened his mouth to reply but Will beat him to it, "How about a blanket and some pillows?"

"Will don't fuss," Kevin admonished.

Will raised an eyebrow and said with a pout, "I can raise a fuss if I want to."

Kevin shook his head as Luke clapped Will on the shoulder, "Come with me. I'm sure we can find something in the front closet." As Luke opened the closet door and started pulling out pillows, he lowered his voice and asked, "How's he doing?"

Will glanced back at Kevin who was settling into his seat and peering out the window. "He's okay. Weak as a kitten and could probably sleep for another week straight but, all things considered, he's doing alright."

Luke pulled out a blanket and handed it to Will, "Good." Luke looked over at Kevin and said quietly, "That was way too close."

"Tell me about it," Will said as he turned and walked back over to Kevin.

Kevin good naturedly let Will fuss over him as Will fluffed the pillows behind him and made sure the blanket was securely tucked in all around. When Will was finally satisfied, Kevin smirked at him, "Happy now?"

Will smirked back as he settled into the seat next to Kevin's, "Just doing what a good boyfriend is supposed to do. You know what else their supposed to do?"

"I can't imagine."

"This," Will said as he reached over and laced his fingers through Kevin's.

* * *

Will glanced over at Kevin as he felt the jet level off. Kevin was staring out the window lost in thought. Will peered towards the front of the plane and saw Luke with a headset on as he studiously stared at his IPAD. Will turned back to Kevin and tried to get his attention, "Kevin?" When Kevin didn't respond, he squeezed Kevin's hand and said his name a little louder.

Kevin slowly turned towards him distractedly, "I'm sorry, what?"

Will reached over and stroked a finger down Kevin's cheek, "You're a million miles away over there. Thinking about Kieran?" Kevin stared down into his lap and just nodded. Will decided that now might be a good time to talk to Kevin about his family but broached the subject cautiously, "Kieran and I talked quite a bit while you were out." Kevin's eyes darted to Will's. Will shrugged slightly, "We had a lot of time on our hands. He told me some things."

Kevin now looked at Will with genuine concern, "What kind of things?"

Will smiled to put Kevin at ease, "Relax. It was nothing awful. I don't think you're some kind of psychopath or anything, and I still think you're a keeper." Will waited a beat before teasing, "Especially now that I know you're rich."

Kevin's head popped up in surprise, "I'm not rich."

"Kieran implied that you were a millionaire," Will said nonchalantly.

"I'm not a millionaire," Kevin stated emphatically before back pedaling by saying, "Well, technically I am, but I'm not."

Will crinkled his forehead, "You want to run that one by me again."

Kevin sighed, "Technically, there's a bank account with my name on it that has a boatload of money in it. But I don't touch it. Everything I have, I earned. My house and everything in it is mine. I haven't touched that money since I was eighteen, and I never plan on touching it again. I have no idea how much money is in there."

Will glanced down at their entwined hands as he said quietly, "Eighteen? That was when you left home."

Kevin nodded, "Yeah. When I turned eighteen, I no longer needed my parent's permission to withdraw money out of that account. So I took enough to pay for college and give me a little seed money to get started." Kevin smirked at Will, "I may have been principled but I wasn't stupid."

"You've never been tempted to take more?" Will asked curiously.

Kevin turned his head and gazed at Will, "I'll admit there were a few lean years where I considered it. But I always managed to squeak by somehow." Kevin stared into Will's eyes, "I know what you're thinking. I'm just some spoiled rich kid up on his high horse denouncing the evils of being wealthy without having a clue about the real world."

Will laughed, "Sounds like every John Hughes teen movie from the eighties."

Kevin chuckled in response before becoming serious, "It isn't that I'm against being rich. I'm not." Will watched Kevin gather his thoughts before continuing, "People don't realize that money can be just as much of a disease as alcoholism or gambling is. Some people can drink or gamble without any issues whatsoever. But with other people, it gets inside you and corrupts you, turns you into a monster. Money does the same thing. That's what it did to my family. It twisted them, and I didn't want that to happen to me."

"Are you talking about your Dad?" Will asked then watched as Kevin turned away. "You once told me that your Dad was a real son-of-a-bitch. I get the feeling that was a gigantic understatement."

Kevin took in a deep breath, "He's awful. People mean nothing. They're obstacles to be pushed out of the way by any means necessary. Emotions are weaknesses. He doesn't give a damn about anything except money and making more of it." Kevin's eyes drifted downwards as he said sadly, "And Kieran's just like him."

"Kieran's not that bad," Will interjected. When Kevin turned to him in surprise, he said hurriedly, "Don't get me wrong, Kieran is cocky and arrogant and most of the time I wanted to wrap my hands around his neck and throttle him, but there is some good in him."

"You think so?" Kevin asked hopefully.

Will looked at Kevin warmly, "He loves you. As much as he tried to hide it, it was blatantly obvious."

Kevin snorted as a lopsided smile appeared on his face, "Maybe there's hope for him after all."

Will peered at Kevin's profile, "He feels bad about outing you to your Dad you know."

"He told you about that?" Kevin asked incredulously.

Will nodded, "Yeah, he did. He also told me that you won't forgive him for it. I didn't believe that though. You're not the kind to hold a grudge."

"There's nothing to forgive," Kevin sighed. "He never meant to say it. It just came out in the heat of the moment. Honestly, it was a relief. It had been this dark cloud over my head for so long that it was actually cathartic to have it out in the open finally. I've tried telling him that but he won't believe me."

"I suspected that Kieran was the one who couldn't forgive himself." A companionable silence descended over them as they both turned towards inner thoughts. Will broke the silence a few moments later. "There is one thing that I don't quite understand. Kieran said that when you left home you told your Mom to stay with your Dad. If you think he's such a horrible person, why would you want her to stay with him?"

Kevin shook his head, "I didn't ask her to stay because of Dad. I don't give a damn about him. I asked her to stay for Kieran. If there was any hope of Kieran not ending up exactly like Dad, it would be because of her. Kieran needed Mom a lot more than I did."

Will smiled slightly as he leaned in and kissed Kevin deeply. When he finally pulled back, he said, "You're pretty amazing Kevin Bicks. Did you know that?" Will watched Kevin squirm under the compliment. "Why didn't you tell me any of this?"

Kevin shrugged, "I wasn't keeping it from you. We just hadn't gotten there yet. You had so much going on already with coming out and getting dropped from your label. You didn't need my misery on top of your own."

"That's fair," Will said as he squeezed Kevin's hand. "But that's all behind us. Now, I want you to tell me everything, the good and the bad. I want to know everything there is to know about you."

Kevin grimaced as he said, "Maybe not everything."

Will laughed as he pulled Kevin closer to him. "Everything!"


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

Will opened the door to Kevin's house and helped Kevin inside. He smiled to himself when he heard Kevin's contented sigh, "Home sweet home." Kevin took a deep breath and smiled as he sagged against the doorframe, "I was beginning to think I would never see this place again." Will blanched and wondered if Kevin understood how true that statement was. He reached out and grabbed Kevin when he swayed suddenly, "I'm fine Will."

Will narrowed his eyes and said sternly, "You're exhausted. Let's get you into bed." Will pushed Kevin towards the bedroom as Kevin grumbled half-heartedly. When Kevin was seated on the bed, Will bent over and took Kevin's shoes off as Kevin gingerly lay back on the bed with a groan. Will lifted Kevin's legs and swung them up onto the bed for him.

"Damn," Kevin moaned as he lay on the bed with his eyes closed, "you don't realize how uncomfortable those hospital beds are until you're back in your own." Will smiled as he puttered around the bedroom. He turned when Kevin spoke up, "Do you mind doing something for me?"

Will walked back over to the bed, "Anything, just name it." Kevin smiled softly as he looked up at Will and patted the spot beside him on the bed. Will was incredulous, "You have got to be kidding me. You just got out of the hospital. You are in no condition…"

Will stopped when Kevin interrupted his tirade, "Get your mind out of the gutter Lexington." Kevin looked up at him in exasperation as he patted the bed again. Will sighed in annoyance before sitting on the side of the bed and removing his shoes. He grumpily lay down on his back beside Kevin. Kevin turned on his side and stared at Will until he finally turned onto his side too and faced Kevin. The tender smile returned to Kevin's face as he said softly, "Hey."

Will's lips turned upwards into a small smile as he responded just as softly, "Hey."

Will's smile faded as he scrutinized Kevin's face noticing the dark smudges under his eyes, the paleness of his skin, the obvious exhaustion. He was so intent on Kevin's face that he startled slightly when he felt Kevin's hand on his cheek. "I missed you," Kevin whispered.

Will reached up and pressed Kevin's hand against his cheek, turning his head to kiss the palm. "I missed you too."

Kevin leaned in towards Will and Will met him half way in a tender kiss. Will knew he should stop there but, when Kevin leaned in a second time, he couldn't resist. Will luxuriated in the feel of Kevin's lips against his own. Kevin moaned in pleasure and placed his hand at the back of Will's neck pulling him so that Will was leaning over him. Will kept the kiss tender as he kept the bulk of his body weight off Kevin. Kevin tried to deepen the kiss but Will pulled back not wanting to tax Kevin in his frail condition. When Kevin pouted in disappointment, Will slowly kissed across Kevin's face, his eyes, his cheeks, his nose, his chin. "We have plenty of time for that when you're feeling better. Close your eyes and get some sleep." Kevin huffed slightly in annoyance but he was already struggling to keep his eyes open. Within moments, he was fast asleep.

Later that night, Will woke up suddenly from a sound sleep. He listened for a moment and heard a loud whimper slice through the stillness. As his eyes adjusted to the semi-darkness, he saw Kevin asleep beside him. Kevin was sleeping on his side with his arm stretched out across Will's chest. Kevin's brow was deeply furrowed as his body twitched spasmodically and another whimper escaped. He was obviously locked in a bad dream. Will reached out and pulled Kevin closer to his body wrapping his arms around him. He stroked his hands up and down as he spoke to Kevin quietly, "Shh, it's okay Kev. I'm here. You're okay. Everything's alright. I've got you. I'm not going to let anything hurt you." Will continued stroking Kevin and speaking softly to him until he calmed down, and he wondered if Kevin was reliving the shooting. Will lay awake long into the night worrying.

* * *

A few days later, Will walked into Luke's office. "Hey Will, glad you could stop by," Luke said as he stood up from his desk and extended his hand to Will. As Will grasped Luke's hand in a firm handshake, Luke said, "How's Kevin doing?"

"He's doing okay. Tired. He's been sleeping a lot since we got home which the doctor said is to be expected. It's going to take him some time to get his energy levels back up," Will responded.

"Good to hear. Have a seat," Luke said indicating the chair opposite his desk. When Will was settled, Luke continued, "I know it's only been a couple of days but we need to talk."

Will was immediately concerned. "Uh oh, do I need to be worried?"

Luke smiled, "No, not at all. It's good actually. Remember I told you at the hospital that the shooting had changed things? That you had become a hot commodity?" When Will nodded, Luke paused slightly before stating, "We'd like you to go out on tour for a few months."

"Oh," Will said as he stared blankly at Luke. Luke waited for Will to say something. "I'm sorry. I know I should be jumping up and down like a crazy person right now, but…"

Luke nodded at Will knowingly, "But Kevin?"

"I'm so sorry," Will said apologetically. "You have done so much for me, for both of us, but Kevin just got out of the hospital. He is so weak; I can't imagine being away from him. Not in the condition he's in. Maybe when he's better, but not now."

Luke raised a finger to Will and said, "I thought you were going to say that so I have a proposal I'd like you to consider. Why not take Kevin with you?"

Will was flabbergasted, "On tour?"

Luke held up his hands defensively, "Now before you turn me down flat, I want you to think about it for a second. I'm going to let you take my tour bus which has all the bells and whistles. Kevin can rest as much as he needs to and you can be right there with him as your traveling to the various venues. When you're rehearsing and on stage performing, I'm going to hire a private nurse who can stay with Kevin when you're not there. That way if he needs anything someone will be right there. What do you think?"

Will considered everything Luke had just said, "Sounds like you've really thought it through." Will sat back and contemplated the idea. Luke's tour bus was basically a home on wheels. How much difference would it make if Kevin was resting at home or resting on the tour bus? There was a lot of down time traveling from one city to the next so he could still keep a watchful eye on Kevin. A private nurse would be ideal so he wouldn't have to worry about Kevin while he was up on stage performing. Will peered at Luke who was watching him patiently. "It does seem like it would work out."

Luke squinted at Will cautiously, "Why do I feel like there's a but in there?"

Will chewed his bottom lip as he considered whether he should confide his concerns to Luke. Finally, he stood up and closed the door to Luke's office. "I'm not sure if I'm making too big a deal about this but Kevin's been having nightmares."

Luke gazed at Will with concern, "About the shooting?"

Will shrugged his shoulders, "I assume so."

"What do you mean you assume so?" Luke asked quizzically.

Will shifted his weight as he said, "He won't talk about them. He downplays them, says he doesn't remember them."

"But you don't believe him." Luke stated.

Will shook his head, "No, I don't."

"What do you plan on doing about it?" Luke asked.

Will sighed as he walked back to his chair and sat down, "I don't know. The doctor in Atlanta recommended that Kevin see a psychologist specializing in PTSD. I mentioned it to Kevin the other day but he blew me off. I mean I get that he wants to just put the whole thing behind him, but I don't think it's going to be as easy as he thinks."

Luke sat behind his desk deep in thought for a few moments before leaning forward and resting his elbows on the desk. "How about this, since Kevin is refusing to see a psychologist anyway, why not take him on the road with you? If at some point things get worse or if Kevin changes his mind, I promise you that I will find the best psychologist in whatever city you happen to be in and we'll get Kevin in to see them ASAP."

Will just sat there in disbelief at how lucky he was to have Luke in his life. "Is there an award for best label head because I want to nominate you?"

Luke laughed, "No need. I think I'm still trying to make up for being the coward that dropped you from my label in the first place."

"That's water long under the bridge," Will replied.

* * *

Will carefully opened the door to Kevin's and peered in. Kevin was lying on the couch asleep his guitar propped up against the ottoman and sheet music scattered across it. Will closed the door as quietly as he could then tiptoed into the living room. He was half way across the room when Kevin opened his eyes. "Sorry, I was trying not to wake you."

Kevin smiled softly and said, "You didn't. I was just resting."

Will walked over to the couch and sat down at the end by Kevin's feet as Kevin pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Have you been writing?" Will said as he pointed at the sheet music.

Kevin groaned, "I tried, but the notes kept blurring and my guitar has apparently gained weight because I can hardly lift the damn thing."

Will smiled as he stroked Kevin's calf, "Give it time." Will pulled his phone out of his pocket as it vibrated, casually glanced at the screen then placed it on the ottoman. "Listen, I need to talk to you about something."

"Sure. Who's that on the phone?" Kevin inquired.

"Just my Dad." Will said before brushing it aside. "I went to see Luke earlier. He wants me to go out on tour for a few months."

"On tour?" Kevin said in surprise. "Will that's fantastic!"

"Yeah, it is," Will said nonchalantly.

"Why aren't you excited about this? This is what you want; this is your dream." Will just looked at Kevin without responding. "No, don't you dare turn this down because of me. That's not fair."

Will smiled broadly, "Which is exactly why you are going with me."

Kevin just stared at him, "Wait…what?"

Will leaned forward and said, "You're going with me." When Kevin continued to just stare at him, he added, "It was Luke's idea."

Kevin slouched back into the couch, "Oh…Will…I don't know. Won't that be weird? What are your band members going to say about you bringing your sick boyfriend along?"

"They're not going to say anything. They'll be on a different bus anyway. It will just be you, me and the nurse."

"Nurse? What nurse?" Kevin asked in confusion.

"The private nurse Luke is hiring to come along. That way I don't have to worry about you while I'm on stage," Will clarified.

Kevin pulled a face, "So if I go on tour with you I'm going to have a babysitter?"

Will rolled his eyes, "No, not a babysitter, a nurse." Will watched as Kevin looked away and crossed his arms over his chest. "I know what you're thinking and if you decide not to go, I'm still hiring a nurse to watch you while I'm away." When Kevin turned and glared at him, Will just shrugged, "Hey, it's either a nurse or Gunnar, your choice." Kevin looked away again and shook his head in annoyance. Will waited in silence a few moments before scooting forward so he was face to face with Kevin. "Don't you want to spend time with me?"

Kevin turned back to Will, "Of course I do, it's just…"

"Please say yes," Will cajoled. "It'll be fun I promise. We'll get to spend time together, reconnect. I don't want to be away from you. Besides, I need you."

"For what?" Kevin inquired.

"This is my first tour since coming out. The truth is I'm a little terrified. I need you with me, for moral support." Will peered at Kevin imploringly, "Please come with me?"

Kevin sighed deeply, "Okay, fine, I'll go."

Will smiled broadly as he pulled Kevin into a fierce hug, "Thank you, you won't regret it."

"Uh huh," Kevin said as he pulled back to face Will. "How about you do something for me now?"

"Anything," Will said enthusiastically.

Kevin pointed to Will's phone with his chin, "Call your Dad back."

Will glanced over at the phone, "Maybe later." At Kevin's disapproving look, Will said, "Aren't you the one who cautioned me about reengaging with someone who hurt me so badly?"

"That was before," Kevin said.

"Before what?" Will asked.

"Before your Dad accepted you for who you are. He's reaching out to you Will. That's a huge step." Kevin explained.

"So you think I should just forgive him for leaving me on the side of the highway?" Will spat bitterly.

Kevin reached over and took Will's hand. "I think you need to heal Will. And the only way you can do that is to talk to him. Forgive him, don't forgive him, that's up to you but don't waste this opportunity. It may be the last one you get."

Will stared down at their entwined hands knowing that Kevin was right. "Fine, I'll call him, on one condition. You call Kieran." Will glanced up to see Kevin narrowing his eyes at him. "Don't make me throw your own words back at you."

Kevin sighed deeply again, "Why did I agree to give you another chance?"

Will smiled, "Because you love me."

"Right," Kevin said as he reached over and grabbed his phone.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

Will stared across the bus at Kevin, the IPAD in his hands long forgotten. They had been on tour for nearly a month now. So far, the shows had been going well with most of the venues sold out or at worst seventy-five percent filled. They weren't the big stadiums that he had always dreamed about as a kid but he was happy. The audiences had been enthusiastic, and Will always left the stage with a huge smile plastered to his face. At least until he got back on the bus when his happiness was swept away and replaced with worry.

It wasn't that his time on the bus with Kevin had been bad. On the contrary, it had been amazing and exactly what they needed. The confinement of the bus had forced them to spend time together, and they had taken advantage of it. For the first couple of weeks, it seemed like they talked non-stop, reconnecting with each other and learning things about each other that they hadn't known before, things that normally would have taken them months to find out. In that regard, taking Kevin along with him on tour had been the best decision Will had ever made. Their relationship was solid and becoming more so every day.

It was Kevin's health that had Will so concerned. He had hoped that being on the bus without much to do would enable Kevin to get the rest that he needed to recuperate but that hadn't happened. Kevin was still having nightmares which meant he wasn't getting the uninterrupted sleep he desperately needed. As a result, Kevin looked worse than when they left Nashville nearly a month ago, which was why Will was staring at him now with deep concern. Kevin was sitting at the table with his head resting against the window as he watched the scenery fly by. His guitar was lying on the seat beside him and music sheets were scattered across the table. Will knew this was merely for show though as Kevin hadn't written one word or note since the shooting. Will watched as Kevin's eyelids blinked slowly up and down. Will desperately willed them to stay shut but they popped back up stubbornly despite the exhaustion that Kevin was clearly suffering from.

Will sighed heavily as he put his IPAD aside and got up from his seat. He wished Kevin would talk to him or anyone about his nightmares but he had been resolutely silent about them. As he walked across the aisle, he shared a smile with the nurse, Alicia, who glanced up from her magazine as Will walked past. She was a pretty, African-American woman in her mid-twenties, and Will had liked her from the minute he met her. She reminded him of a younger version of the nurse who had been so kind to him at the Atlanta hospital. She was quiet and unassuming but was also genuinely kind and caring with a slight mischievous streak once they had gotten to know her better. She frequently made Kevin laugh which ingratiated her to Will even more.

Will picked up Kevin's guitar and laid it on the opposite seat as he slid in beside Kevin. "Excuse me. I don't mean to intrude but I was sitting across the aisle and couldn't help noticing how incredibly handsome you are. So, I thought I'd mosey over and see what kind of shot I had."

Kevin peered over at Will, a wan smile playing on his lips as he studied Will for a moment. Finally, he said, "I'd say they're better than average."

Will made a show of acting surprised, "Really? Hmm, well in that case…" Will started as he leaned over and placed a gentle kiss against Kevin's lips lingering for a few moments before leaning back.

Kevin's smile grew as he said, "Are you always this bold with a complete stranger?"

Will smiled as he leaned closer, "Only when they're as irresistible as you."

Kevin scoffed and rolled his eyes as he turned back to the window, "Yeah right. Liar!"

Will laughed as he reached over and clasped Kevin's hand. He waited a beat before saying casually, "I was thinking I'd go lie down for a while. Maybe take a nap. Care to join me?"

Will watched as a look of uneasiness tinged with fear passed over Kevin's features as his body tensed. "Maybe later. I'm enjoying watching the scenery. It's beautiful country out here."

Although the answer was expected, Will still felt disappointed. He didn't push the issue though and instead scooted closer to Kevin on the seat. "Mind if I sit here with you."

Kevin turned and graced Will with a soft smile. He squeezed Will's hand as he said, "I'd like that."

* * *

"Let's go through Spinning Revolver one more time maybe with a little more bass this time around." Will said as he glanced around at his bandmates on the stage. They had arrived in Columbus, Ohio a couple of hours ago and were going through rehearsals for the concert later that night. Once he received a nod or grunt in acknowledgement from his bandmates, he turned around and stepped up to the mic making some final adjustments to his guitar. As he did so, he heard his name from stage right and turned to see Alicia standing there anxiously trying to get his attention.

Will immediately thought of Kevin as he turned back to the band. "Hey, on second thought, let's take a break. I need a few minutes," Will said as he swung his guitar strap over his head and placed his guitar on the stand. He hurried over to Alicia, "What is it? What's wrong?"

Alicia glanced over at the band milling around on stage and pulled Will towards the back door without speaking. Once outside and away from the others, she said, "Something happened."

Will felt panic settle in his stomach, "What happened? Is Kevin alright?"

Alicia crossed her arms over her chest, "No, I don't think so."

Will felt himself tense and he balled his hands into fists as he said again more emphatically, "What happened?"

"A truck went past the bus a little while ago. It was a pretty old and beat up one." Alicia said as Will listened attentively. "Anyway, when it went past, it backfired. It sounded exactly like…"

"A gun shot," Will finished for her.

"Yeah," Alicia confirmed nervously. "It was really loud. Scared the Hell out of me too. Kevin was in the bedroom when it happened. I called out to him to see if he was okay but he didn't answer me. I knocked on the door several times but he still wouldn't answer so I went in. He's just sitting on the bed like he's in shock. He won't look at me or talk to me. That's when I decided I should come get you."

Will reached out and placed his hands on Alicia's upper arms and squeezed trying to reassure her, "You did the right thing. I'll go talk to him." Will turned and glanced behind him, "Can you tell the band that they can go grab something to eat? I'll probably be a while."

"Sure," Alicia said with a small smile. "Afterwards, I'll be outside the bus in case you need me."

Will gave her an encouraging smile before walking past her. He could feel his apprehension growing as he neared the bus wondering what he was going to find. He took a deep breath as he climbed the few steps and walked quickly towards the bedroom in back. He paused at the closed door and decided to knock gently. He didn't want to scare Kevin any more than he already was. Will rapped three times softly, "Kev? Kevin, it's Will. Can I come in?"

Will listened but didn't hear a response so he quietly turned the doorknob and stepped into the room. Just as Alicia had described, Kevin was sitting on the side of the bed his back towards the door. As Will walked into the room he said, "Kevin? Hey, you okay?" Kevin still didn't respond as Will came around the end of the bed and gently sat down next to him. Tension radiated from Kevin's body as he sat like a rock with his hands clasped between his knees. He was staring straight ahead with his jaw clenched tightly.

Will reached out tentatively and placed his hand on Kevin's back. He half expected Kevin to flinch away from him but he remained rigid. Will moved his hand slowly up and down reassuringly as he inched closer. "Kev?" Will said softly adopting a soothing tone. "Kev, you need to talk to me." Kevin acted as if Will wasn't even there. Will continued to stroke Kevin's back soothingly as he continued, "Alicia told me what happened with the truck backfiring. That must have been real scary for you. I'm sorry I wasn't here but I'm here now." Will paused as he continued to rub Kevin's back. When Kevin still refused to speak, Will leaned forward and kissed his temple softly. Will leaned his head against Kevin's and whispered, "Please talk to me. Tell me what's going on with you."

Will was mulling over in his mind what else he could possible say to Kevin to get through to him when Kevin turned his head towards Will. Will watched Kevin's eyes dart back and forth like he wanted to say something but wasn't exactly sure what. Finally, Kevin pulled his hands out from between his knees and held them towards Will. They were shaking violently. Kevin stared at them with a mixture of confusion and fear as he whispered, "I can't make them stop."

Will was down on his knees in half a second with Kevin's hands clasped firmly between his own. As Kevin's hands trembled within his grasp, Will bent down and kissed them before glancing back up at Kevin. "It's okay Kev. I've got you." Will was relieved when Kevin relaxed slightly. Will looked down at their joined hands and took a deep breath. It was time. He couldn't allow Kevin to ignore the issue any longer. He needed to push Kevin into getting help, but he knew he needed to proceed cautiously. He looked back up at Kevin hoping that Kevin could clearly see the love Will felt for him. He spoke gently but firmly, "Kevin, you need to talk to someone, and I'm not going to let you sidestep it anymore." Kevin turned his head away and Will could feel him tense with uneasiness. "I would never do anything to hurt you. You believe that right?" Kevin nodded slightly as he stared at the far wall. "You need to do this. You're never going to get better if you don't." Will waited patiently until Kevin reluctantly nodded his head in agreement.

* * *

As usual, Luke was true to his word. As soon as Will had gotten the go ahead from Kevin, he was on the phone to Luke letting him know that Kevin had finally agreed to see a psychologist. Within an hour, Luke called back to say that a psychologist had agreed to see Kevin after normal business hours that day and was even willing to come to Kevin. For what felt like the millionth time, Will thanked God for Luke Wheeler.

At seven o'clock that evening on the dot, the psychologist arrived to find Will pacing back and forth outside the bus like an expectant father. Will clasped the man's hand heartily, "Thank you so much for agreeing to see Kevin last minute like this, especially after hours. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you coming here on such short notice. I'm Will Lexington, Kevin's boyfriend."

"It's nice to meet you Mr. Lexington. I'm Daniel Goulding," the man said as he shook Will's hand with a friendly smile. "But before you thank me too profusely, I have to admit that I have an ulterior motive." At Will's befuddled expression, he continued with a conspiratorial smile, "My wife is a huge Luke Wheeler fan. He agreed to give me VIP tickets and backstage passes the next time he's in town."

"Ah, I see," Will chuckled. "Well, regardless, I'm still grateful you're here."

"So, tell me a little bit about Kevin. Luke mentioned that he was shot a couple of months ago?" Daniel asked adopting a more serious expression.

"Yeah, we were at a protest outside a television studio in Atlanta. A crazy homophobe shot at me but hit Kevin instead. He nearly died and was in the hospital for about a month," Will said somberly as he remembered back to those dark days.

"I see, and Kevin hasn't spoken to anyone about what happened?"

"No. He's been having nightmares since getting out of the hospital but he won't talk about them. Today a truck backfired near the bus, and it really freaked him out."

"That's perfectly understandable," Daniel said nodding his head. "I assume he's expecting me?"

"Yes, he is," Will said as he turned towards the bus. "He's waiting for you in the bedroom."

"Alright," Daniel said as he turned and placed his foot on the first step into the bus. Before going any further, he turned to Will, "I need to warn you Mr. Lexington that the old adage will apply here. It will get worse before it gets better. Kevin will seem to decline as we dig up what's bothering him, but I promise you that it is the first step towards him getting better."

Will nodded solemnly, "I understand."

Will paced back and forth outside the bus and glanced at his watch for the millionth time. It was now eight-thirty. Daniel had been inside talking with Kevin for an hour and a half. Will assumed that was a good sign, but he was getting nervous. His opening band, a local band he met briefly earlier in the day, would be coming off stage now which meant he only had about ten or fifteen minutes before he absolutely had to be backstage. He had hoped to talk to the doctor before doing that but he was running out of time. He glanced at his watch again with a sigh when the door to the bus opened and Daniel stepped down. "How's Kevin?" Will asked anxiously.

"He's asleep," Daniel answered seriously. "I gave him a sedative."

"Does that mean the session didn't go well?" Will asked as he felt his hopes plummeting.

Daniel smiled slightly in reassurance, "On the contrary, it went very well." Will let out a deep sigh of relief as Daniel continued, "Kevin was reluctant at first, but once we got going he was actually quite forthcoming. I didn't expect that which is why the session ran longer than normal. I thought it best to get as much out in the open as possible."

"If the session went well, then why a sedative?" Will asked curiously.

"Kevin's exhausted both physically and emotionally. It's imperative that he get some restorative sleep. The sedative will help him do that. As a matter of fact, I've given Alicia a prescription with instructions on when and how often to give them to Kevin."

"Okay," Will said as he stuck his hands into his pockets. "So, what happens now? I mean, Kevin is going to have to continue to see someone right? This isn't a one-time deal."

"No, I'm afraid I'm not that good," Daniel chuckled. "That's another reason why I wanted to spend extra time with Kevin since this will be the only time we see each other physically. Going forward I'll be meeting with Kevin via Skype. I've gone over the details with Alicia and given her all my contact information so she'll be able to set it up. It's not optimal but it will work."

"How often will you be meeting with Kevin?"

"A few times a week to start. The sessions will be reduced as he gets better."

Will perked up, "So, he will get better?"

Daniel reached out and grasped Will's arm firmly looking him in the eyes, "Yes. He will get better. Just remember what I said earlier. Initially, Kevin may seem worse. He'll be sleeping a lot, but, when he's awake, he's apt to be irritable, aloof, and antagonistic. He may refuse to eat; a loss of appetite is quite common. Just be patient with him."

Will nodded as he took a deep breath, "I'll try."

Daniel smiled at him knowingly, "If you're as good a man as Kevin says you are, then you'll do fine."

* * *

The doctor was wrong. Things didn't get worse or at least not in the way he said it would. Kevin didn't become irritable or antagonistic. Will suspected that was due to Kevin's inherently laid back and calm disposition. On the rare occasions when he did become mildly snippy, he was always immediately contrite and apologetic. After the doctor's warning, Will had braced himself expecting that he would be dealing with a very different Kevin but the changes were subtle. Kevin was slightly quieter, slightly more depressed. To anyone besides Will and Alicia, the changes probably wouldn't have even registered.

There were only three things that changed noticeably. The first was that Kevin did lose his appetite entirely. Not that he was eating a lot to start with but now he ate next to nothing. He didn't refuse to eat like some rebellious teenager though. He did try to eat, mostly for Alicia's benefit, but he just couldn't get much down. Alicia took up the challenge valiantly and tried everything she could think of including smoothies and protein shakes thinking that it would be easier for Kevin to get something liquid down as opposed to solid. She did have some moderate success. The second change was that Kevin was now sleeping. Thanks to the sedatives, Kevin was now sleeping through the night. Additionally, he would either take one long nap or two short ones during the day. As a result, he lost the haggard appearance around his eyes if not the troubled expression. The third change was a little more of a mystery. There seemed to be an air of hopelessness inside the bus but Will couldn't tell if that was something generated by Kevin or if it had more to do with the helplessness that both he and Alicia felt in regard to Kevin. Will more so than Alicia. Will just had to trust that Dr. Goulding was getting through to Kevin and that things truly would get better.

Will climbed onto the bus after his latest concert. He was sweaty and tired but in that great way he always felt after being up on stage performing. As he got to the top of the stairs, he glanced down the aisle and saw Alicia coming out of the bedroom and closing the door behind her. She walked towards the kitchenette with a half full milkshake in her hand. When she noticed Will standing there, she graced him with a small smile and a shrug. "Still can't get him to eat much huh?" Will said.

Alicia sighed as she poured the rest of the milkshake down the sink, "Nope. I actually wish he would yell and scream at me like I'm some evil witch. I think it would be easier to deal with." Alicia sighed again as she turned around leaning against the sink with her arms folded across her chest. "I just wish there was more I could do for him."

Will smiled as he reached out and squeezed her arm. "You're doing great. We just need to be patient and let Dr. Goulding work his magic. Hang in there."

Alicia smiled in return then said mischievously, "Yes boss."

Will gave her a playful shove, "I'm going to go take a shower then head to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Will walked down the hallway and into the back bedroom. Kevin was sitting up in bed staring at his laptop. He glanced up as Will walked in, "Hey. How was the concert?"

Will smiled as he stripped off his shirt, "Good, great crowd tonight. I'm going to go take a quick shower. I'll be right back." Kevin just nodded as he went back to his laptop. Will showered and got ready for bed. As Will walked back into the bedroom, Kevin was still absorbed with his laptop. Will slid under the covers and glanced at the screen, "Music teacher qualifications? Why are you looking at that?"

Kevin just stared at the screen as he said quietly, "What else can a washed up songwriter do for a living?"

Will turned to Kevin and said uneasily, "Excuse me?"

"What's that old adage? Those who can't do teach," Kevin muttered.

Will sat up straighter in bed, "What are you talking about?"

Kevin sighed, "I can't make a living on my looks Will."

Will's brow furrowed in confusion, "Hang on, back-up. Who said you were washed up?"

Kevin turned towards Will, "I haven't written anything in three months. Not one note, not one word, nothing."

Will gazed into Kevin's eyes and saw a turmoil of emotions reflected there, "You've been sick." Kevin rolled his eyes and turned away. Will changed tactics, "Have you spoken to Dr. Goulding about this?"

Kevin shook his head, "He wouldn't understand. He's not a musician."

Will settled back on the bed, "Okay, then talk to me. I understand." Kevin just continued to shake his head slightly. "Kev, I know exactly how you feel. I went through the same thing last year. But you know that because you were there. A lot of my fear was around coming out but there was also a huge fear that I would never perform again. It scared the Hell out of me, and I struggled to figure out what else I was going to do with myself. You were the one who made me realize that performing was the only thing I truly wanted to do. Granted that first time was a disaster in more ways than one," Will said as he glanced at Kevin. "It took me a long time to figure out that, in order to get back to doing what I loved, I needed to get right with myself. When I finally did that, I was able to get back out there on stage. The same is true with you. You're not right yet, Kev. You're still healing. You said three months like it's been forever. It's only been three months. You have to give yourself time."

"What if I can't?" Kevin said as he looked back at Will. "There's nothing there Will. I've always had bits and pieces of tunes or lyrics swirling around in my head and now…" Kevin hung his head in despair, "There's nothing there."

Will reached over and closed the laptop placing it on the bedside table. "Come here," Will said as he gathered Kevin into his arms and settled them back onto the bed. "You will write again. I'm sure of that even if you aren't. You're going to have to trust me on that one." Will kissed Kevin on his forehead and held him tightly.

* * *

The moment when Will realized that Kevin was getting better was equally as subtle. The three of them were in their usual places. Kevin was at the table staring out the window with Will and Alicia sitting across the aisle. Will was watching a movie on his IPAD while Alicia was reading. In his peripheral vision, Will saw Alicia stretch then get up and wander into the kitchenette. She opened the refrigerator and was reaching in to grab something when Kevin spoke up, "Would you mind grabbing me an apple while you're in there?"

Will saw Alicia freeze in place as the import of Kevin's words drifted over her. Kevin hadn't asked for anything food related since they had been on the bus. Alicia turned wide eyes towards Will as she responded far more calmly than she appeared, "Uhm, yeah, sure thing sweetie. Do you want that whole or do you want me to cut it up for you?"

"You don't have to go to any trouble. Whole is fine," Kevin replied.

Alicia's mouth dropped open as she continued to stare at Will. She managed to remain calm as she said, "It's no trouble at all. I think I'll join you." Alicia grabbed two apples from the fridge and walked over to the counter to start slicing them. Alicia glanced over at Will before saying, "I'm going to have some peanut butter on mine. Do you want me to put some on yours too?"

Kevin thought about it for a moment, "Yeah, okay."

Alicia set the knife down on the counter and stood there for a moment. Then she turned around and smiled softly at Kevin. "I'll just be a second," she said as she walked calmly towards the back of the bus and out of Kevin's sight. She then proceeded to burst into a frenetic but silent Snoopy dance. Will quickly put his hand over his mouth to stop himself from bursting out laughing. When she was done, she quietly strolled back to the kitchen counter and started slicing the apples. "Will, would you like to join us?"

Will couldn't stop the huge smile that lit up his face. "I'd love to."

* * *

Three days later, Will was walking back towards the bus looking forward to a nap before getting ready for the show that night. He had been up early for interviews and had just finished rehearsals. As he stifled a yawn, he noticed Alicia pacing back and forth outside the bus and felt his heart sink. Kevin had been doing so well what could possibly have happened? He sped up and yelled out to Alicia. He slowed down with a bewildered look on his face as Alicia gesticulated wildly at him to be quiet. When he finally reached her, he whispered, "What's going on?"

"Listen!" Alicia whispered excitedly.

Will listened but didn't hear anything. Just as he was about to ask Alicia what he was supposed to be listening for, he heard an acoustic guitar come to life. As a soft melody flowed out of the bus, Will turned to Alicia in astonishment, "Is that Kevin?"

"Yep," Alicia said excitedly. "He started playing a couple hours after you left and hasn't put it down since."

Will sighed in relief as he leaned back against the bus and listened to Kevin strumming the guitar strings. He closed his eyes and pictured Kevin sitting in the bus. He could see him in his mind's eye with his eyes closed, a small smile on his lips as he strummed the guitar lost in the melody. Will sorted through song titles in his mind discarding them as quickly as they appeared. Something on his face prompted Alicia to say, "Is something wrong?"

Will opened his eyes and smiled at Alicia, "No, not at all. I'm just having trouble coming up with the name of the song he's playing."

Alicia stood up straighter and jutted her chin out as she said haughtily, "I'm going to suggest Alicia."

Will just looked at her in confusion, "Excuse me?"

"Don't judge," Alicia said saucily. "I'm not the first woman to want to have her name immortalized in song, and I doubt I'll be the last."

Will's brows knitted together even more, "What are you…" Then it hit him. No wonder he didn't recognize the song. "Kevin's writing again," Will breathed.

Alicia smiled beatifically, "Pretty cool, huh?"

Will felt his smile widening across his face as relief and happiness flooded over him. He couldn't contain his excitement as he reached over and picked Alicia up spinning her around with a loud whoop of joy. When he finally put her down, he heard a voice behind him, "What the Hell is going on out here?"

Will spun around to face Kevin who was standing on the steps to the bus watching them like they were crazy. Will stared at him stupidly trying to figure out what to say when Alicia saved him, "Will thinks it's a great idea."

Kevin peered at her uncomprehendingly, "What's a great idea?"

"You naming the new song after me," Alicia said like it should have been obvious. "Isn't that right Will?"

Will turned to Alicia, "Uh, yeah, great idea." He turned back to Kevin and gave him a thumbs up.

Kevin glanced back and forth between the two of them like he didn't believe a word. When neither one of them said anything else, Kevin shook his head and stepped back into the bus. Will and Alicia quickly devolved into giggles.

* * *

Will grasped the edge of the sink as he felt the bus start moving. He had just finished showering after his latest show. They would be driving through the night to get to the next venue for tomorrow night's performance. Will braced himself against the wall as he pulled on his pajama bottoms then bent over the sink to brush his teeth. When he was finished, he opened the door and walked out into the bedroom. Immediately, he sensed that something was different. Without saying a word, Kevin arose from the end of the bed and walked towards him. Kevin was also clad in only pajama bottoms as he reached out and placed his hand on Will's chest. Will gasped slightly at the amount of heat and electricity in that simple gesture. "What are you doing?"

Kevin gazed up at him, his eyes blazing with passion as he murmured, "What do you think I'm doing?" Kevin then leaned up and kissed Will softly.

Will closed his eyes and groaned as the kiss quickly turned passionate. It seemed like forever since Will had kissed Kevin like this and he savored it opening his mouth and devouring Kevin's hungrily. Kevin kissed him back just as fiercely and before Will could even register that they were moving he was falling onto the bed on top of Kevin. Will felt Kevin wrap his leg around him as they continued to kiss deeply, hands exploring familiar terrain. It wasn't until he felt Kevin start to slide his hands under his pajama bottoms that Will pulled back, "Wait."

"No, no more waiting," Kevin said as he pulled Will down and kissed him deeply again.

Will responded with a deep groan as he kissed Kevin back until Kevin pulled at his pajama bottoms again. "Wait, stop."

Kevin looked up at him in confusion, "What's the matter?"

Will gazed down at Kevin and wondered the same thing. Kevin's face was flushed, his blue eyes sparkling, and Will couldn't believe how lucky he was to have this gorgeous man in his bed. But as he felt the bus sway, he knew it wasn't right. Instead of answering, Will reluctantly got up and walked a few steps away from the bed breathing deeply to clear his head. He was collecting his thoughts when he heard, "Don't you want me?"

Will turned around and sighed, "You have no idea how much I want you."

"Then what's the problem?" Kevin asked clearly confused by Will's actions.

"Please don't think it has anything to do with you. I want you more than you could possibly imagine," Will said. He stared at Kevin, who was sitting on the side of the bed, as he considered what he wanted to say. "Promise you won't laugh. Or think I'm crazy."

Kevin blinked a bit in surprise then nodded his head slightly as he gazed back at Will with a serious expression, "Okay."

Will took a deep breath as he said shyly, "It's just…I want our first time to be special."

Will watched as the corners of Kevin's lips turned upwards as he said, "I know it's been a while, but we have had sex before."

"Not since we got back together," Will clarified. Will huffed in exasperation as he blurted, "I don't want our first time to be on the back of a tour bus, in the middle of the highway with Alicia just on the other side of the door." Will saw Kevin lower his head as he tried to control his smile. "You think I'm crazy don't you?"

Kevin shook his head, "No, I think you're very sweet." Kevin looked up at Will lovingly, "It's one of the things I love most about you. It's like you grew up in a different era."

Will shuffled his feet as he said, "So you're not mad?"

"No, I'm not mad. Frustrated as Hell but not mad." Will snorted slightly in response. A silence descended over them momentarily before Will noticed Kevin cocking his head and narrowing his eyes at Will inquiringly. "So, what base are we talking about here?"

Will's brows furrowed in confusion, "Excuse me?"

"You know…first base, second base. I'm assuming you're referring to a home run, probably third base too?" Kevin asked.

Will wondered where Kevin was going with this. "Yeah…I guess…why?"

"Well, I was just wondering if first and second base were negotiable." Kevin said in all seriousness.

Now Will felt the corners of his lips start to turn upwards as he said, "I hadn't really thought about it."

Kevin smiled lasciviously, "Maybe you should."

Will felt a blush race up his face, "What do you have in mind?"

Kevin licked his lips as he leaned forward, "Why don't you come over here and find out?"

Will smiled as he sauntered back towards the bed.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Will walked through the front door and dropped his bags on the floor in the front hall. He breathed in deeply as he looked around. Damn it was good to be home. As much as he enjoyed being on the road and performing, it was always good to be back in Nashville. Gunnar suddenly appeared at the end of the hall looking slightly puzzled until he saw Will standing by the door. His expression quickly morphed into a gigantic smile as he spread his arms open wide, "The prodigal son returns!" Will smiled widely as Gunnar walked towards him and engulfed him in a fierce bear hug. "Welcome back buddy. I missed you."

"I missed you too." Will said as he backed out of the hug.

Gunnar wrapped his arm around Will's shoulders and started maneuvering him into the living room. "Come in, come in. I want to hear everything. How was the tour? Do you want a beer?"

"A beer would be great," Will said as Gunnar let him go and walked over to the refrigerator.

Gunnar grabbed two beers from the refrigerator and handed one to Will, "So, was the tour everything you hoped it would be?"

"It was," Will said as he plopped down on the couch. "The crowds were great. Most of the venues were sold out. I can't complain."

"Good," Gunnar said as he sat down on the opposite end of the couch and faced Will. "No crazy protesters?"

Will grimaced slightly, "There were some at a few of the venues. Small numbers though, and they didn't impact the shows at all. The fans ignored them for the most part."

"As they should," Gunnar affirmed. "How's Kevin doing? Where is Kevin?"

"I dropped him off at his house," Will answered. "He's doing good. He's almost back to himself again."

"Wow, that psychologist must be a miracle worker," Gunnar stated admiringly. "Kevin was in pretty bad shape when you left a few months ago. I know how worried you were especially after that truck backfiring incident."

"Man, that was awful," Will groaned. "He scared the Hell outta me. I never expected him to turn back around as fast as he has. He's improved so much this past month. You'll see a big difference."

"Can't wait," Gunnar said as he gazed at Will fondly. "I'm so happy for you Will. Your career is heating up, Kevin's healthy. Everything seems to be going your way for a change."

"Don't say that too loud," Will warned. "I don't wanna jinx it. This past year has been rough between coming out, getting dropped from Wheelin' Dealin', Kevin breaking up with me, getting hit with that beer bottle, having my truck vandalized, that witch Cynthia Davis, the shooting. I think I've had enough bad luck to last me the next twenty years thank you very much."

Gunnar held up his beer bottle, "I'll drink to that." They clinked bottles and drank as Gunnar glanced over at Will morosely. "I have to admit, I'm a little sad that things are working out so well for you and Kevin."

"Sad?" Will asked surprised. "Why?"

"Because I think I'm going to be losing a roommate pretty soon," Gunnar sighed.

Will squirmed uncomfortably, "What makes you think that?"

"Oh come on Will," Gunnar said. "It's just a matter of time before you and Kevin are shacking up together. You're crazy about him."

Will picked at the label on his beer bottle as he thought about these last few months with Kevin. A slow smile spread across his face as he glanced up at Gunnar, "I am aren't I?" Gunnar just smiled in return as he took another gulp of beer. "Well, maybe you'll lose a roommate and gain another." At Gunnar's quizzical expression, Will continued, "How are things between you and Scarlett?"

"Ugh," Gunnar groaned loudly. "Things between me and Scarlett are down…up…around…sideways…diagonal…horizontal…vertical…"

"That doesn't sound good," Will grimaced.

"It's not," Gunnar answered, "but it is. Scarlett and I have been doing a lot of talking lately. We've been dredging up all this old baggage that we've been carrying around for far too long, dealing with it once and for all finally. Which is bad and good all rolled together. Right now it's bad but, in the long run, I think it will be good for us. Does that make any sense?"

Will nodded, "Actually, it does." The two drifted into a companionable silence until Will squirmed uncomfortably again and cleared his throat, "So, uhm, I kinda need your help with something."

Gunnar perked up, "Sure, anything."

Will fidgeted as he said, "Well…it's…uhm…sorta…I mean…uhm…"

Gunnar rolled his eyes as he said exasperatedly, "For God's sake Will, spit it out already."

Will stared resolutely at Gunnar for a few seconds before sitting up straighter, "Okay, promise me you won't make fun of me."

"When have I ever…" Gunnar started as Will glared at him. He put up his hands in supplication, "Okay, okay, I won't make fun of you."

Will took a deep breath, "Okay, so, this is real personal. Kevin and I…well we haven't…" Will trailed off as he stared at Gunnar hoping he would catch on without him having to say the words. Gunnar just stared back at him blankly. "We haven't…exactly…" Gunnar narrowed his eyes and cocked his head in confusion. Will sighed, "We haven't…you know…"

Gunnar eyes suddenly widened in surprise as he blurted, "You haven't had sex yet?"

Will cringed as Gunnar's voice ricocheted through his head. "Kevin's been sick remember? It's only been the last two or three weeks that he's been healthy enough."

"So, why didn't you when he was better?" Gunnar asked.

Will looked at him askance, "In the back of a tour bus? Driving down the interstate? With his nurse on the other side of the door?"

"Ah," Gunnar said. "I get it. Not very romantic."

"Exactly, which is why I need your help. I want to do something really romantic, and you're way better at that stuff than I am," Will explained.

"Okay, okay," Gunnar muttered as he jumped up from the couch and started pacing back and forth. "First, we need to decide on a setting. Swanky hotel?"

Will crinkled his nose, "Kinda cliché isn't it?"

"Good point," Gunnar said as he continued pacing. Will watched him expectantly until Gunnar finally turned to him triumphantly. "Got it. Camping. Nice secluded spot, a warm fire, a blanket of stars and a cozy tent for two."

Will gasped as he shot up off the couch, "That's it. Why didn't I think of that before? The cabin."

"Cabin? What cabin? I thought I said tent. Didn't I say tent? I meant tent," Gunnar rambled.

"No, no," Will said shaking his head. "Remember the cabin Kevin and I went to before I came out? The one the tabloid took the pictures of? It was Kevin's parents but it belongs to Kevin now. His brother gave him the deed to it the day he was released from the hospital. It would be perfect."

Gunnar glanced away deep in thought, "A cabin…a cabin…that could work. It was a pretty nice cabin if I remember correctly."

"Yeah, it's real nice," Will confirmed. "Kevin's parents are filthy rich."

Gunnar started pacing back and forth again, "You're going to want to grab a pen and paper to write some of this stuff down. I got a million great ideas coming fast and furious." As Will scrambled into the kitchen to find a pen and paper, Gunnar suddenly stopped pacing and looked at Will. "Wait…did you just say that Kevin's parents are rich? Filthy rich?"

* * *

Will took one last look around the cabin to make sure everything was in place. Kevin would be arriving any minute and everything needed to be perfect. Will straightened the centerpiece on the table and wiped his sweaty palms on his jeans for the millionth time. His head whipped around when he heard a car driving down the driveway. He took a deep breath and blew it out. "Let's do this," he muttered as he walked across the room and opened the front door.

Will walked out onto the porch and started down the stairs as the car pulled up and came to a stop. The back door opened and Kevin stepped out of the car with a lopsided smile. "I can't believe you hired a car to bring me here. I could've driven myself you know."

Will felt a smile stretch across his face, "I know, but I didn't want us driving home in separate cars."

"So there is a method to the madness," Kevin quipped.

"Yes there is," Will said as he stepped up to Kevin and placed a gentle kiss on his lips.

"I also liked your message," Kevin said as he pulled a small card out of his front pocket and proceeded to read. "Kevin – Get in the car. Love, Will."

Will's smile widened as Kevin laughed. "It worked didn't it?"

"It did," Kevin giggled.

Will laced his fingers through Kevin's, "Come on inside."

As they walked up the stairs hand in hand, Kevin off-handedly said, "Did you remember where the key was or do I need to replace a window?"

Will glanced at him sideways and said snottily, "Yes, I remembered where the key was." When Kevin turned a smug smile towards him, he muttered under his breath, "Smartass."

"I'm sorry, what did you say? I don't think I caught that," Kevin replied his lips twitching as he barely contained his laughter.

Will swiftly wrapped his arm around Kevin's waist and pulled him into his body tightly, "I said…nice ass." Before Kevin could come back with a response, Will leaned down and kissed him deeply. He let go when he felt Kevin sag into his embrace. As he pulled back, he cocked his eyebrow at Kevin and said, "Can we please go inside now?"

Kevin gazed up at him, his eyes sparkling, "Lead on." Will opened the door and pulled Kevin into the cabin. As Kevin's eyes darted around the cabin appreciatively, Will closed the door and waited anxiously for Kevin to say something. "Wow, it's beautiful." Will felt himself swell with pride as he glanced around the room himself. The cabin looked like something out of a magazine. Lamps were strategically placed to give the whole place a warm ambience as a fire blazed in the fireplace. The dining table was picture perfect with flowers accentuating two china place settings. Champagne was chilling in a bucket of ice with two flutes standing at the ready. "What is that amazing smell?" Kevin asked.

"Dinner." Will said boastfully as he walked past Kevin towards the kitchen. "I hope you're hungry."

"Starving," Kevin said with a slightly bewildered look on his face. "You cooked?"

Will turned and stood a little straighter, "You didn't know that I'm a gourmet chef?"

"Is this one of those hidden talents you've been keeping from me?" Kevin said suspiciously.

"Absolutely," Will said as he turned and walked into the kitchen opening the oven door and peeking inside. He glanced up to see Kevin leaning in the doorway with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. Will sighed, "Okay, so my hidden talent isn't that I'm a gourmet chef. My hidden talent is having a best friend who knows a gourmet chef who hooked me up." Will closed the oven door and walked over to Kevin. "And that I know how to work an oven."

Kevin nodded, "That sounds more like it."

"Hey, I'll have you know I can grill with the best of them. Bobby Flay has nothing on me when it comes to ribs and steaks," Will bragged.

Kevin cocked his head, "You do know I'm a vegetarian right?"

Will's face fell, "Wait…what?" Will frantically thought back. How did he miss that?

Kevin suddenly laughed, "Relax Cowboy, I'm joking."

Will took a step closer and pointed an angry finger in Kevin's face, "NEVER joke about beef with a Texan."

Kevin raised his hands in surrender, "Duly noted."

Will grunted and mumbled angrily under his breath as he walked past Kevin and into the dining room. He continued to glare at Kevin as he popped the cork on the champagne and poured some into the two flutes. He offered one of the glasses to Kevin, "Champagne?"

"Thank you," Kevin said contritely.

Will placed the champagne bottle back into the ice bucket, "Do you want to move into the living room and enjoy the fire while we're waiting for dinner?"

"Sure," Kevin said as they meandered into the living room and sat down on the couch in front of the fire. Will placed his arm along the back of the couch as he made himself comfortable. They sat in a companionable silence watching the fire and sipping their champagne. Will was aware of Kevin shooting him glances but didn't acknowledge it. After a while, Kevin scooted closer to Will on the couch and peered at him through his lashes, "I'm sorry I made you mad." Will didn't answer, so Kevin scooted even closer so that he was wedged into Will's side. Will felt his heartbeat speed up as Kevin purred into his ear, "Can I make it up to you?"

Will turned his head to respond but Kevin captured his lips before he could get any words out. Will moaned as Kevin reached up and placed his hand behind Will's head and deepened the kiss. Will wrapped his arms around Kevin pulling him closer as he enjoyed a series of long, lingering kisses. As the kisses grew more passionate, Kevin turned and straddled Will's lap. He leaned down and nipped at Will's jawline before diving in for another deep kiss. Will had just wrapped his arms around Kevin again when suddenly a buzzer went off. Will nearly jumped out of his skin which threw Kevin off balance, and he went sprawling down to the floor with a crash.

"Oh Gosh, are you are alright?" Will asked with concern.

Kevin propped himself up on his elbows as he glared at Will, "What the Hell was that?"

Will whipped his head towards the kitchen then back to Kevin, "Dinner's ready."

Kevin just stared blankly at him before devolving into sidesplitting laughter which was apparently contagious as Will found himself rolling around on the couch laughing right along with him. Finally, Kevin lay on the floor panting, holding his sides as he said, "Damn, I haven't laughed like that in a long time."

"Neither have I," Will responded as he wiped the water from his eyes.

Kevin smiled up at Will, "So, you gonna help me up or just sit there?" Will lazily stood up from the couch and extended his hand out to Kevin hauling him up off the floor. "Thanks," Kevin said sweetly as he leaned up and kissed Will softly. "Can I do anything to help with dinner?"

"Nope, just go sit at the table. I got this," Will said as he started sauntering towards the kitchen. He glanced back when he reached the doorway to see Kevin walking towards the table rubbing his rear end, a slight grimace on his face, "You sure you're okay?" Kevin shot him a look then waved him away. Will chuckled as he went into the kitchen.

* * *

Will watched as Kevin took the last bite of his dinner then leaned back with a sigh of appreciation. After months of watching Kevin struggle to get food down, it was comforting to see his appetite returning to normal. Kevin was still too thin for Will's liking but he was slowly gaining the weight back. "Everything taste okay?"

Kevin groaned, "More than okay. That was one of the best meals I've ever had. If I wasn't completely stuffed, I'd have seconds and maybe even thirds." Kevin reached out and picked up his champagne glass, "Thank you Gunnar." Will clinked his glass with Kevin's and drank. Kevin put his glass down and leaned forward on his elbows, a slow smile creeping onto his face. "So, what's for dessert?"

Will felt heat rising into his face but he remained calm as he answered nonchalantly, "I thought you were stuffed."

Kevin's smile turned lascivious as he said huskily, "There's always room for dessert."

Will shifted in his seat as Kevin's blue eyes blazed into him, "Maybe we should work up to dessert." Kevin's eyes followed him as he got up from the table and walked across the room. Will flipped on the stereo then walked back to the table extending his hand out to Kevin. "Dance with me?"

Kevin placed his hand in Will's and said softly, "I'd love to."

Will escorted Kevin to the center of the room, turned towards him and automatically moved his hands into the lead position. Kevin did the same. "Oh, ah…" Will stammered as he awkwardly tried to shift his hands into the appropriate position and failed miserably. Will looked at Kevin who just cocked an eyebrow at him and didn't move. Will tried shifting his arms again, but he still couldn't get it right. "I've only ever danced with women. I don't know…how…" Will fumbled.

Kevin rolled his eyes and sighed exaggeratedly as he gracefully and fluidly moved his arms into the correct position. "Fine, you can lead. This time," Kevin said testily as he moved closer to Will. "But don't get any ideas. I am NOT the girl in this relationship."

As Will wrapped his arm around Kevin's waist and pulled him close, he felt the hard planes of Kevin's chest and the firmness in his grip. He slowly breathed in Kevin's musky scent as he gazed down at him, "No, you certainly aren't." Will closed his eyes as they swayed to the music, his cheek pressed against Kevin's temple. He placed Kevin's hand over his heart and clasped it tightly. Never in his life had dancing with someone felt this perfect. "This is nice," he murmured into Kevin's ear.

Kevin squeezed Will as he replied, "Yeah, it is."

Eventually, Will let go of Kevin's hand and placed his other arm around his waist pulling him in tight to his body. Will's hands roamed over Kevin's back as the heat between them rose. Kevin pulled back and captured Will's lips in a deep, heated kiss. When they parted for air, Will placed his finger on Kevin's lips as he was leaning in for another kiss. "Wait right here. Don't move."

Will walked swiftly towards the bedroom and out of sight. Within five minutes, he re-entered the room smiling when he saw that Kevin had followed his instructions and was still standing in the middle of the room. He walked over to him and wrapped his arms around him. "Now, where were we?" Will said as he leaned down and kissed Kevin passionately.

The next time they came up for air, Will took Kevin by the hand and led him towards the bedroom. Will opened the door and let Kevin go in first. As soon as Kevin stepped into the room, he let out a hushed "Whoa." What seemed like a million candles were lit all around the room with rose petals scattered on the floor and bed. Kevin glanced back at Will his eyes shining, "You are quite the romantic Mr. Lexington. I'm impressed."

Will laced his fingers with Kevin's and walked them slowly towards the bed. "I hoped you would be," Will said shyly.

Kevin placed his hands on Will's chest and looked at him adoringly, "I love you Will."

Will gently cupped Kevin's face with his hand, "I love you too." Kevin slid his hands over to the top button on Will's shirt and undid it working his way downwards. He gently tugged the shirt out of Will's jeans and pushed it off his shoulders. Will mimicked Kevin's actions and soon they were both shirtless. Kevin never broke eye contact with Will as he sat on the bed and laid back. Will stretched out beside him propped up on his elbow. "You are so beautiful," Will breathed as he leaned down and kissed Kevin.

Heat raced through Will's body as hands explored and breathing became ragged. Pants soon joined shirts in a pile on the floor as limbs entwined. Passions ignited and came together in glorious waves each more intense than the last until a final crescendo left them gasping, sweaty and spent.

* * *

Will blinked awake slightly disoriented. He relaxed when he felt the warm body softly breathing in his arms. Kevin was lying on his right side sleeping soundly. Will glanced around the room and realized that the candles were still burning. He gently extricated himself and quietly started blowing out the flames. The last thing he needed was to burn the damn cabin down. He cautiously made his way back to bed in the now pitch black room and spooned up to Kevin stroking a soft hand down his back. His hand stopped midway as it encountered a slight rise on the skin. Will's thumb traced the scar that was now a permanent part of Kevin. Will blinked back tears and swallowed down the lump in his throat at the sudden onslaught of emotions. He had come so close to losing Kevin; it was a miracle that this night together had even been possible. Will wrapped his arms around Kevin and closed his eyes saying a small prayer in thanks. He kissed Kevin's shoulder and whispered, "I'm never letting you go," before sliding into a deep, contented sleep.


End file.
